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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNA2017_12_07® News Advertiser.PICKERING CONNECTED TO YOUR COMMUNITY DURHAMREGION.COM Newsstand price $2 per copy Call 1-844-363-4035 or visit veridian.saveonenergy.ca. Subjecttoadditionaltermsandconditionsfoundatsaveonenergy.ca.Subjecttochangewithoutnotice.SaveonEnergyispoweredbytheIndependentElectricitySystemOperatorandofferedbyVeridianConnectionsInc.OMOfficialMarkoftheIndependentElectricitySystemOperator. See your buSineSS in a new light. The new Small Business Lighting Program offers more than just energy-efficient lighting solutions for small businesses. It offers great benefits and valuable incentives too. Had Your Eyes Checked Lately?DurhamOptometricClinic Book your appointment today! New patients welcome! Dr. Farooq Khan & Associates 62 Harwood Ave., South, Unit 2, Ajax Plaza905.426.1434 1360 Kingston Road, Pickering905.831.6870 .com.com All types ofDENTURE SERVICESProvided 905-683-6074 Bayly St.W.,Ajax THURSDAYDECEMBER 7, 2017 Sabrina Byrnes / MetrolandPickering’s Esplanade Park lights up for holiday season PICKERING -- A large crowd gathered for the annual tree lighting and fireworks display at Esplanade Park Friday evening, Dec. 1. The evening included a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, as well as performances from Splash n’ Boots and Pickering Star and MC Becca Scott. newsroom@durhamregion.com www.facebook/newsdurham @newsdurham newsdurham WHAT’S ON SPORTS Turn the lights out Sleep is an important component to elite athletes looking to be at their best. See page 23 ON STAGE ATHLETICS ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ For the second time in recent years, young people at a Pickering church will bring the beloved TV special to life. See page 29 ONLINE AT du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 2 P auto service specials Expires December 14, 2017 WITH EVERY TIRECHANGEOVER Free BoNusaliGNMeNtcHecK FREEREG. $49.99 • Check and adjust tire pressure • Measure tread depth • Check overall condition *Per set of 4 mounted tiresunmounted set $98.00 $3499* WINTER TIRE CHANGEOVER LIMITED TIME OFFER! Min. Purchase of $200 on Tires or installed parts & labor. In store only. EQUALMONTHLYPAYMENTS Min.Purchase of $200 on Tires or installed parts & labor 24 NO FEE NO INTEREST FINANCING * APPLY TODAY! In-store at Customer Service oronline at ctfs.com/applynow Offer expires on December 28, 2017. PAD InstallationBONUS save20% of LabourPickering ONLY MOTOMASTER OE PLUSBRAKE PADSRe-engineered from the groundup for fit, performance and safety.On-vehicle tested to OE standardsto ensure all-weather/all-terrain performance.3-year/60,000km warranty orlifetime when installed at Canadian Tire. 113-9200X/116-0851-0. Reg. from 41.99 save20% FrOm3149 set, up People, groups, schools encouraged to plant trees on momentous occasions Kristen Calis KCalis@durhamregion.com PICKERING — A Pickering teenag- er with a passion for the environment has launched a new green initiative that encourages those celebrating momen- tous occasions to also celebrate the earth. The Plant a Celebration program encourages the community to plant trees on birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones or celebrations. Mahnoor Hussain, a Grade 12 stu- dent at Dunbarton High School, thought up the idea in order to give students and community members a sense of belong- ing and sentimental value in tree plant- ing, which she believes will result in bet- ter aftercare and maintenance of the tree. “For me, the thing is if I had a tree in my name in this specific area, I’d want to go and visit it and see how it’s doing, and it will remind me of the time that I plant- ed it,” said Mahnoor, 17. She said it can be for any occasion, from traditional celebratory occasions to receiving a driver’s license or good grades. Dunbarton has a great track record in helping the environment. In 2015, it was named the Greenest School on Earth by the Global Coalition for Green Schools, an initiative of the U.S. Green Building Council. “We are the greenest school on the planet, so I thought why not?” said Mahnoor, who added the school has enthusiastic students and a teacher, David Gordon, who leads them on the right path. Mahnoor believes planting these trees will help improve community connection to the planting site, resulting in more vis- its to the area in which it's planted. Mahnoor has received recognition from Pickering-Uxbridge MP Jennifer O’Connell and Parks Canada for this ini- tiative. The inaugural tree planting took place recently. Mahnoor thanks her fellow envi- ronmentally enthusiastic classmates for helping her with the project. “We just started. And the hopes are to reach out to elementary schools, reach out to other environmental organiza- tions,” she said. Over the winter, the goal is to advertise and fundraise to offset the costs for those wishing to take advantage of the program. Those interested in donating or for more information can email mahnoor- hussain45@yahoo.ca. Mahnoor was originally interested in pursing biomedical science, but she’s recently developed a stronger connec- tion with the environment and would like to study conservation biology or envi- ronmental toxicology in post-secondary school. Pickering teen’s green initiative celebrates milestones and the earth Submitted photo PICKERING -- Pickering teen Mahnoor Hussain is recognized by the federal govern- ment and Pickering-Uxbridge MP Jennifer O’Connell for her Plant a Celebration ini- tiative. Pickering council approves grant to help Claremont Legion become accessible Kristen Calis KCalis@durhamregion.com PICKERING — The City of Pickering is providing a grant to help the Claremont Legion complete an accessibility project. Council passed a motion for a community grant for Royal Canadian Legion Branch 483 (Claremont)’s accessibility project at the lat- est council meeting. The motion was introduced by Ward 3 City Coun. Shaheen Butt, stating the legion has been fundraising to make the building accessible. The current washrooms, steps and entrance at the legion are not accessible, but donations, hard work by the community and previous grants from both the city and the federal government are fixing these barriers. “It will make life easier for a lot of seniors, people who have had strokes, for example, who cannot have access to the building, and people in wheelchairs,” said Butt. However, the volunteers have found that the front entrance of the legion requires accessible automatic doors, which was over- looked when applying for the original grants. "This will allow people to enter the build- ing independently," said Karyn Miller, a co- ordinator of the Legion’s Accessibility Project. She said in a presentation to council that the expected cost is $3,300. Ward 2 Regional Coun. Bill McLean brought forward an amendment that the amount be upped from $2,000 to $3,300, subject to funds being available, which was approved by council. The money will be funded from the 2017 General Government grants account and the funds will be applied to offset the cost of the automatic door openers, city permit fees, and toward any associated accessibility costs such as fire safety. Mayor Dave Ryan suggested the city work with groups in the future who apply for com- munity grants to help avoid oversights, such as missing the need for the automatic door opener. du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 3 AP YD.COM | 1-888-932-3748 314 Harwood Ave S, 2nd Floor, Ajax 1099 Kingston Rd. Suite 246, Pickering 101 Dundas St W, Suite 203,Whitby FOR A LIFETIME GIVING PEACEOF MIND Join 1.3 million grads in a traditionof excellence before the seasonends. Sign up for a driving course this winter. Text YDAJAXNEWS to 58888 for dates.* Promotion runs till December 31, 2017 on selected equipment. Customer may be eligible for OPA, Save On Energy and Manufacturers A+ or any other rebates on selected equipment. Monthly payment on approved credit (OAC ). Offer cannot be combined. Cost varies basedon make, model and size of equipment.Aire One reserves the right to change or cancel this offer at any time without prior notice.Eligibility of rebate depends on requirements, please call Aire One for details. AIRONE-1102-RH-MM-3 1910 Dundas St. E. Unit 117, Whitby 905-576-7600 3$39/MO from Call to schedule a FREE No Obligation visit with our Energy Management Experts FurnaceDiagnosticSpecial reg $99 $49* inside december 7, 2017 Pressrun 54,400 / 36 pages editorial Page / 6 sports / 23 Classified / 27 905-215-0442 What’s On / 29 Calendar of events / 33 durhamregion.com The latest news from across durham Region, Ontario, Canada and the world all day, every day. search ‘newsdurham’ on your favourite social media channel. YOuR CaRRieR Collection weeks are every third week. Please greet your newspaper carrier with a smile and an optional payment for their service. CaLendaR OF eVenTs Submit your events online Event listings are easy to input online. Many of the events put online will also make it into our Calendar of events in our Thursday newspapers. To add your event, go to durhamregion.com/durhamre- gion-events. Motion to increase transparency referred to legal counsel Jillian Follert jfollert@durhamregion.com DURHAM — A Durham District School Board trustee is pushing for more transparency around violence in schools. Pickering trustee Paul Crawford moved a motion at the board’s Dec. 4 meeting, calling for parents or guard- ians to be notified of any violent incident that affects their child, or occurs in their child’s classroom. The motion also requests that every violent incident be reported to trustees, and that a monthly summary of violent incidents go to the board of trustees, either as an in-camera (closed session) or public report. “There is resistance to talking about it,” Crawford says. “We’ve been dealing with this in camera for awhile, and I’m trying to figure out a way to get it out to the public.” Crawford says parents have a right to know what goes on in their children’s classrooms, such as lockdowns, or “evac- uations” which see students taken out of the room when a fellow student is acting aggressively. “There needs to be more notification … people need to know what is happen- ing,” Crawford says. Trustees voted to refer the motion to legal counsel. “There are significant concerns we have with the motion as written,” says board chair Michael Barrett, noting there may be privacy concerns that contra- vene the Education Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code. “The argument has been made that safety trumps everything,” Barrett says. “But it does not trump everything. It does not trump the Human Rights Code, it does not trump the Education Act.” Crawford's motion suggests that reports to parents and trustees would protect privacy by not naming the stu- dents involved. So far this school year, the Durham District School Board (DDSB) is see- ing an increase in the number of violent incidents reported by staff. Staff filed 640 reports filed between the beginning of this school year and Oct. 24. There were 411 reports in the same time period last year. DDSB superintendent Richard Ken- nelly said in an interview earlier this fall, that a new — easier — reporting system may account for some of the increase. “We really need to see over time whether it is the reporting tool that has created this bump,” he said. David Mastin, president of the Dur- ham local the Elementary Teachers' Fed- eration of Ontario (ETFO), is also seeing increased violent incident reporting. He said in late November that ETFO Durham members had reported 231 violent incidents so far this school year, compared with 300 for all of last year. Reports have included school equip- ment being used as weapons as well as biting scratching and punching. The DDSB recently struck an ad hoc committee to look at the issue of violence in schools, with a mandate to report back with recommendations by June 2018. The committee plans to hold its first meeting this month and set its terms of reference. Page 6 - Today’s editorial Durham trustee says parents have a right to know about violence, evacuations in their child’s class Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland WHITBY -- Trustee Paul Crawford during a Durham District School Board meeting on Dec. 4. du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 4 AP DURHAM — Two Ajax brothers charged in connection with a series of violent rob- beries remain in custody as they await a bail hearing. Trenell Ottley, 24, and his 21-year-old brother, Trevell Ottley, appeared in an Oshawa courtroom briefly on Tuesday morning, Dec. 5. They were scheduled to have a bail hearing on Tuesday, but their matter was adjourned at the request of a defence lawyer. The Ottleys are scheduled to appear in an Oshawa court by video on Dec. 12, at which time a date for their next appearance will be set. The two men face a total of 66 charges, including kidnapping and robbery, relating to a spate of incidents that occurred in Ajax between Oct. 12 and Nov. 16. They include: • Seven incidents involving carjacking, attempted carjacking and robbery of people in or near their vehicles in north Ajax, span- ning from Oct. 12 to Nov. 16. • The robbery of a taxi driver near Ajax Downs Casino on Nov. 28. • Theft of a cellphone and cash on Sept. 13 near the Ajax GO station, involving a female who advertised her cellphone on the letgo app (only Trenell charged). A search warrant was executed in Ajax on Nov. 28 and an imitation handgun was seized. At a news conference held at the Ajax town hall on Friday, Dec. 1, Durham police Det. Sgt. Ryan Connolly said the two sus- pects were “not known to police prior to this investigation.” The pair were under surveillance by the police when they were arrested following a robbery of a taxi operator on Nov. 28, Con- nolly added. Ajax brothers accused in violent carjackings remain in custody after hearing adjourned Facebook photo AJAX — Two brothers, who live in the north Ajax neighbourhood where multiple car- jackings occurred, are now facing a combined 66 charges for these and other vio- lent incidents. Trenell Ottley, 24, and his brother (left) Trevell Ottley, 21, both of Hesketh Road in Ajax, have been charged in connection with nine incidents. Human trafficking charges laid after investigation into incidents at Durham Region hotels Two men face several charges DURHAM — Two men are facing charges relating to prostitution at hotels in Durham Region, police said on Thurs- day. The charges, including human traf- ficking, relate to “incidents that occurred in a number of hotels in Durham Region during October 2017,” OPP said in a recent media release. Police said no further details of the allegations would be released, citing court-imposed publication bans. Charged with trafficking in per- son, advertising sexual services, utter- ing threats, extortion and procuring are Artem Sterekhov, 19, of Kleinburg and 22-year-old Roman Culeanu of Brad- ford. du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 5 AP CLIPPEDOUPONQUIRED CLIPPEDCOUPREQUIRED GiftCard*$10FREEFREE LimitTimeOff when you spend$50 or more atNorth Ajax Sobeys valid Mon - Thurs only Card10 Limited TimeOffer when you spend$50 or more aNorth Ajax Sobey valid Mon - Thurs onlywith coupon when y spend Gift Card* $10FREE oupon *Free Gift Card to be used on nein store purchase. Offer valid in a single transaction and may not bcombinedwith any otheroff8246 COUPON REQUIRED AND MUST BPRESENTED AT TIME OF PURCHAS *Free Gift Card to be used on next in store purchase.COUPON REQUIRED AND MUST BE PRESENTED AT TIME OF PURCHASE. spend e at ys only, oupon extn at beffer. T BESE. 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Excludes other taxes, paint charges ($200, where applicable), licensing, PPSA, registration, insurance, variable dealeradministration fees, fuel-fill charges up to $100, and down payment (if applicable and unless otherwise specified). Other lease and financing options also available. Dealers may sell or lease for less. Some conditions apply. See dealer for complete details. Vehicles shown may include optional accessories and upgrades available at extra cost. All offers are subject to change without notice. Φ0% financing is only available on select new models toqualified customerson approved credit. Representative Financing Example:Finance a new 2018 Forte LX MT (F0541J with a selling price of $15,094 at 0%/ for 84months for a total of 364weekly payments of $41with $0 down payment. Payment amount includes $2,000 Holiday Bonus. 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For details,please visit opg.com/pickering or call 905-837-7272. .m., 1 p2er 1bmece, DyadsueT SENIORS HOLIDAY MOVIE AND TEA Pickering Nuclear Information Centre 1675 Montgomery Park Rd. 19 charged with impaired in week 3 of Festive RIDE campaign DURHAM — A driver who is alleged to have sped away from a spot check, narrowly missing several officers in the process, is among 19 motorists charged with impaired driving during the third week of the annual Durham police Fes- tive RIDE campaign. After three weeks the effort has result- ed in a total of 52 individuals being charged with drinking and driving offences, police said. After three weeks of the 2016 campaign, 59 impaired charges had been laid. Over the past week officers stopped more than 1,200 vehicles and demanded 102 roadside breath tests, resulting in 14 drivers having their licences suspended for three days after registering a warning for blood alcohol content. Among the 19 motorists arrested on impaired charges during the week was the driver of a Ford SUV flagged down at a RIDE checkpoint at Liberty Street and Baseline Road in Bowmanville around 10:10 p.m. Nov. 30, police said. When an officer attempted to speak to the driver the vehicle suddenly acceler- ated away, bouncing off a curb and near- ly striking several other police, police said. The vehicle was eventually stopped on Highway 401 and the driver arrested. Valerie Winslow, 43, of Shanagar- ry Drive in Ennismore in charged with impaired driving and driving while exceeding the legal blood alcohol limit, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police. The Festive RIDE initiative continues until the new year. Driver accused of fleeing Durham police at RIDE check News Advertiser 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1H 6N8 www.durhamregion.com Tim Whittaker - Publisher twhittaker@durhamregion.com Fred Eismont - Director of Advertising feismont@durhamregion.com Mike Johnston - Regional Managing Editor mjohnston@durhamregion.com Deb Macdonald - Sales Manager dmacdonald@durhamregion.com Abe Fakhourie - Director of Distribution afakhourie@durhamregion.com Cheryl Haines - Composing Manager chaines@durhamregion.com ADVERTISING 905-215-0472 CLASSIFIEDS 905-576-9335 DISTRIBUTION 905-579-4407 GENERAL FAX 905-579-2238 NEWSROOM 905-215-0481 LETTERS: We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and day phone number. We reserve the right to edit for length, libel and community standards. Email: newsroom@durhamregion.comMember of the Canadian Circulations Audit Board, Ontario Community Newspaper Association, Canadian Commu-nity Newspaper Association, Local Media Association and the National News Council. Content is protected by copy-right. Publication Sales Agreement #40052657 du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 6 AP LETTER TO THE EDITOR How is the Norwegian justice system fairer? To the editor: Re: ‘Norwegian justice fairer than what we have in Canada’, letter, Nov. 20 I read a letter to the editor claiming that the Norwegian justice system is fairer than our own because it imposes heavier fines on people who make more money. In what way is this fair? How does income affect how serious their crime is? Is someone who makes $100,000 annually more guilty of a speeding fine than some- one who makes $50,000? Tailoring fines to income teaches us that being more successful in a monetary sense means that we are somehow more responsible if we make a mistake. This is hardly fair. A set amount for fines for every- one does not put any single group less lia- ble under the rule of law, it only allows for people to be held to the same degree of responsibility for doing something wrong. Steven Milenkovski OUR VIEW cOLUmn How to submit a letter to the editor: Email newsroom@durhamregion.com FaX 905-579-2238 Standing in line at the grocery store, I saw a number of those magazines that sport ridiculous headlines like Woman Sees Jesus’s Face in Toast- ed Raisin Bread, Talking Dog Predicts Stock Market Crash and President Trump Makes Sense. One particular rag boasted a cutesy filler article on the front page: 10 Ways to Make Your Home More Inviting This Winter. There was also an article on How to Drive Your Partner Crazy in Bed, but I think I already do that, so I found myself wondering what those 10 ways might be. No. 1 was easy to fig- ure out … move your home to Arizona. That’d cosy things up in short order. But, that still left nine ways. I could well imagine there would be any number of tips involving beeswax candles, Himalayan salt lamps and enough throw pillows to start your own harem. But, I doubted very much the article would get at all close to the real problems involved. Namely, ourselves. How do we make ourselves more inviting? You can have the warmest, cosi- est, most magazine-worthy little nest on the planet, but if you’re a tool, no one’s going to want to spend time with you. I’m sure Martha Stewart’s place is perfect, right down to the matching imported Peruvian dust bunnies under the bed, but I wouldn’t want to hang out with her ... not unless she had some cool prison stories to tell. Most of us, I would submit, need to spruce up our inner selves more than our outer trap- pings. By my own admission, I can be a ter- rible listener. It may be a hazard of the writing trade, but I tend to get wrapped up in my own head a lot; lost in my own thoughts. That’s fine if I’m living alone in some drafty garret in Paris ... but I’m not. I share a living space with someone who is important to me; some- one whom I have invited into my life. And if I want that person to feel warm, welcomed and loved, no amount of doilies, window treatments or themed cocktails is going to do it. It has to come from the work I’ve put into me first. I have to make myself more inviting. I have to listen; to be fully present; to be gen- erous of heart, positive and joyful. I have a number of people in my life who make me feel like a million bucks, just by being invited into their company. They seem to do this effortlessly, but on closer observa- tion, you can see the work being done. The hug that lasts until you’re certain that person is genuinely delighted to see you. The quick, ready laughter; the steady, purposeful eye contact; the touch of a hand on a shoulder; the connection. Those people, those homes, are truly inviting. — Neil Crone, actor, comic, writer, saves some of his best lines for this column Making ourselves more inviting neil crone Enter laughing If you’re a parent, it’s easy to recall that first day of junior kindergarten when you dropped your child off at school. A tough day for most parents. The first time you let go. But sending your child off to school didn’t mean you were not interested in what went on in the classroom. That’s why most parents participate by volunteering on school trips, others come into class- rooms and talk to students about what they do for a living and there isn’t a parent out there who hasn’t prepared snacks and other treats for special occasions. Parents want to be included in what goes on in the classroom because they care about their children, their friends and the school community. So you could understand why they might be upset if nothing was ever men- tioned about a violent act taking place in their child’s classroom. Whether it’s a fight between students or any other type of con- frontation, their parents have a right to know what’s happened. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always hap- pen. That’s why Durham District School Board trustee Paul Crawford moved a motion at the board’s Dec. 4 meeting, call- ing for parents or guardians to be notified of any violent incident that affects their child, or occurs in their child’s classroom. The motion also requests that every vio- lent incident be reported to trustees, and that a monthly summary of violent inci- dents go to the board of trustees, either as an in-camera (closed session) or public report. The motion was referred to legal coun- sel due to legal concerns about privacy that could contravene the Education Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code. “The argument has been made that safety trumps everything,” board chair Michael Barrett said. “But it does not trump everything. It does not trump the Human Rights Code, it does not trump the Education Act.” We understand schools in any school board across Ontario must ensure the pri- vacy of all students is taken into account, even those students who have acted out violently in the classroom. That being said, every parent has the right to know that something bad happened in their child’s classroom, even if the names of students are withheld. As it stands now, the only parents who ever get informed about vio- lence in the classroom are those involved in the trouble. Surely common sense should prevail when it comes to violence in schools. If schools are permitted to share their suc- cesses with parents, they should also be allowed to share anything negative hap- pening in the classroom. The good, the bad, the ugly, parents have a right to know. OUR VIEW Parents have a right to know what’s going on in the classroom du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 7 AP For sale information, go to www.fabricland.ca & choose Ontario Region 1.NOW OPEN INPICKERING!1755 PICKERING PKWY. 905-427-0485(E.of Brock,N.of401;on thesouthside,next to Corning Revere,facing the 401) This week at Fabricland:Holiday Countdown! Saveup to 50%&more off our reg.prices onahuge selectionof Holiday Necessities! And Sewciety Members save 40%off our reg.prices on almost everything else not already on sale!Offers valid December 1-31,2017 ON NOW AT THE BRICK! SAVING YOU MORE For more details go instore or online @thebrick.com. Keith Gilligan KGilligan@durhamregion.com AJAX — A new nursing clinic in Ajax will allow patients to receive care closer to home. The Ajax Home and Community Care Nursing Clinic will offer such services as wound care and IV maintenance. Located at 11 Harwood Ave. S., the clin- ic is open seven days a week, and will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. Amorell Saunders N’Daw, vice-chair- woman of the Central East Local Health Integration Network, said the clinic open- ing and having the facility means “resi- dents can get the services they need closer to home.” Ajax-Pickering MPP Joe Dickson said, “Getting care in a clinic setting allows the patient to take a more proactive role in their health care. They can arrange their own schedule to meet their own needs.” Having a clinic means hospitals aren’t being used, Dickson noted. He said patients would recover quicker. “It’s a win-win situation.” Ajax Mayor Steve Parish said, “Nothing is more important in the community than our health care. It affects every one of us.” While going to the hospital is “great, anything that helps is welcome,” Parish said. There’s pressure to reduce expenses and the clinic will allow people to “age in place and stay in their home. It will keep them out of expensive facilities.” There’s expert staff to care for patients, he noted, adding “I think it will be well used. We’re thrilled to have you here in the community.” Saunders N’Daw said, “It’s so important to provide alternatives in the community. We strive to improve patient care and high- quality care close to home. It’s collective and collaborative effort to push for com- munity care.” Saint Elizabeth Health Care runs the service, with two nurses on site each day. The clinic is one of six similar facilities, with the others in Oshawa, Peterborough, Lindsay and two in Scarborough. The Oshawa clinic is at 475 Bond St. W., Unit 2. New nursing clinic opens in south Ajax Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland AJAX -- (From left) Jennifer Inget, service co-ordinator, Cheryl Riley, nursing supervisor, Lynn Park, regional director, and Linda Nguyen, registered nurse, attended the opening of a Central East LHIN Home and Community Care Nursing Clinic in Ajax on Dec. 1. The new clinic is at 11 Harwood Ave. South. Police say 23-year-old woman died in fiery Durham crash Witnesses reported vehicle travelling 'at a high rate of speed' DURHAM —Police say a 23-year-old Stouffville woman died in a single-vehicle crash in Uxbridge early Saturday morn- ing. The collision happened at about 1:35 a.m. on Dec. 2, when a vehicle traveling east on Aurora Road went through a stop sign at the York Durham Line intersec- tion. Police say witnesses report- ed the vehicle was travelling  "at a high rate of speed" when it went through the intersection and ran off the road into a hill, bursting into flames on impact. The 23-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene. York Durham Line was closed from Wagg Road to Regional Road 8 for several hours on Saturday while police investigated. Anyone with information about this incident or who witnessed the collision is asked to call Durham Regional Police at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5227 or make an anonymous tip to Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 8 AP ® PartofArthurJ.GallagherCanadaLimited I have always found wine an ideal Christ- mas gift — a perfect expression of Christmas giving. It is that consummate gift that can be immediately enjoyed, shared, collected, cellared, paired with food or just plain talked about. Wine can be appreciated at the basic dinner table or with royal sublimity. The gift of wine does not have to cost a fortune, but neither need it be basic plonk. Wine transcends that of price and power. It is that beverage that can please many. When purchasing wine as a gift the intended receiver’s experience, knowledge and taste should be taken into account. Experience counts. The more specific and expensive a wine is, the greater emphasis and reflection there is of the grape variety, region and vineyard the wine comes from. Hence a very expensive wine may not be appreciated by one whose palate is not con- ditioned to it.        Knowledge goes hand in hand with expe- rience. A person well versed with the world of wine will recognize a fine bottle by name and reputation. An understanding of the receiver’s knowledge base leads to greater gift appreciation. Finally, the receiver’s taste must be taken into consideration. This is the most impor- tant part of wine gift giving. Does the person prefer white to red? Is the person adventur- ous or likes ‘the same old?' Does the person prefer big, bold and muscular to elegant, stylish and soft wine? Is there a particular grape variety that the person likes — or not? These are questions that should be taken into account prior to any wine selec- tion. Buying a highly reputed, very expen- sive wine just for the snob appeal and noth- ing else makes for a ridiculous gift for both receiver and giver. Choosing wine as a gift can be confus- ing. When in doubt, a sure thing can always be a bottle of sparkling wine. Sparkling wine is festive, well presented and can always be used to treat guests or celebrate New Year’s Eve. For those who want to impress with an international flair, wine from Italy’s Veneto, France’s Rhone/Loire, Argentina’s Malbecs or Chile’s Cabernets/Chardonnays are but a small example available at local stores.   Local diehards can take advantage of the many superb Ontario wines from its wine regions. Wine will always be around to bright- en any gift giver’s or gift receiver’s day but it need not overwhelm the budget. — Chuck Byers is a member of Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada. He has written three books on wine/food. He is a producer for several TV series on wine, food and travel. You can contact him via email at CABYERS- VQA@hotmail.com. Ontario Philharmonic’s annual holiday concert part of a December to remember in Durham December has finally arrived, bringing with it the prom- ise of snowy days and the fes- tive spirit of the season. As we head into one of the busiest times of the year, don’t forget to get out and enjoy some time with friends or family. There is so much to do in Durham Region this December, whether you’re looking for a family-friendly adventure or a night out with friends. The Ontario Philharmonic brings the musical mastery of Dvorák and Tchai- kovsky to the  University of Ontario Insti- tute of Technology's Regent Theatre on Dec. 16. Their special holiday program, In the Spirit of the Season: Dvorák vis- its Tchaikovsky for Christmas, also wel- comes the Durham Youth Orchestra to the stage for this exciting Christmas concert. Tickets are available through the Ontario Philharmonic’s website at ontariophil.ca. Before Christmas arrives, better check your list once, check your list twice! Durham Region is home to a wide range of unique artisan stores, specialty boutiques and shopping malls that will satisfy all of your Christmas shopping needs. Consider cruising one of our pic- turesque downtown shopping areas in Bowmanville, Port Perry or Uxbridge, or visit our large-scale shopping malls. Head out to the country and spend the day exploring our antique shops, local artisans and farm or flea markets. All that shopping will certainly help you work up an appetite, right? Stop by one of our many bistros, bakeries or bars and enjoy a tasty meal. Check out the 2017 Discovery Guide on durhamtourism.ca for a list of shopping and dining loca- tions in the region. If you’re more of an outdoor person, there is no shortage of outdoor adven- ture in Durham Region in the winter. Ski- ing, snowshoeing, hiking and fat biking are all activities open for you to explore. Whether you are an experienced winter sports enthusiast or just trying some- thing new for the first time, our world- class hills and trails offer something for everyone. Check out our interactive trails map, available on durhamtourism. ca, for more information on a variety of trails, many of which offer cross-country skiing and snowshoeing routes. Check out the Durham Tourism events calendar at www.durhamtourism. ca to see what else is on during Decem- ber and into the new year, and sign up for our e-newsletter. You can also con- nect with us on Twitter at @Durham- Tourism, or visit us on Facebook at www. facebook.com/durhamtourism. Until next month — enjoy your time exploring beautiful Durham Region! — Brandon Pickard is the manager of tourism for the Region of Durham Get ready for some winter fun Brandon Pickard Durham Tourism Metroland file photo DURHAM -- Ontario Philharmonic presents its special holiday program entitled In The Spirit of the Season to the Regent Theatre in Oshawa on Dec. 16. Wine can make a special Christmas gift Wine With Chuck Byers du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 9 AP $2499 Christmasshirts sweatshirts Y ONL sweatshirts Y ONLwomenfor womenfor $39eg. R $14.99$14.99 Y ONL for -shirts TChristmas for -shirts TChristmas $25eg. Rwomen. $25eg. Rwomen. $25eg. Rwomen. $25eg. Rwomen. Up to60%off Men’ssuits MERRY CHRISTMAS TO OUR CARDMEMBERS! SAVE ANEXTRA15% ON ALMOST ANYTHING IN STORE AND AT THEBAY.COM with a Hudson’s Bay Mastercard® or Hudson’s Bay Credit Card during our last savings weekend of the year. 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But, every few years, when lemming popu- lations dip in their natural cycle, some snowies move south in win- ter — driven by hunger — to sur- prise and amaze humans when they suddenly show up in the neighbourhood, as if by a stroke of Harry Potter magic. This is one of those snowy owl winters. John gave me my first clue of that, and my first sighting of one — likely a juvenile, given the fine black barring on its chest. I hid behind a tree in a neigh- bour’s yard as I gazed through my binoculars, noting how it squinted its yellow cats’ eyes in the bright sun, and 10 minutes later flew past, startled by another excit- ed neighbour out there snapping away with a camera. Snowy owls inhabit treeless, open terrain, so they often perch on fence posts in rolling, wind- swept fields when they come south. They’re magnificent flyers — one was clocked moving from Amherst Island to north of Ottawa overnight, some 250 kilometres — but tend to stop along the shore of large lakes they come across for a while, rather than ventur- ing on across. Frenchman’s Bay and Whitby Harbour are two like- ly spots in Durham Region where they might be hanging out, hunt- ing for waterfowl. But, even far inland, you might spot a snowy owl. One was seen flying over the long-abandoned airfield in Algon- quin Park just last week, on the move south. Airports often attract snowy owls, on the hunt for mice and voles in the grassy strips around runways, to the concern of safety personnel anxious to prevent col- lisions with aircraft. Project Snow- storm puts cellphone trackers on owls captured at U.S. airfields, revealing the diverse directions and far dis- tances these birds, once released, will fly. Sadly, in the last snowy owl irruption, at least two of these gorgeous, ghostly birds were struck and killed by cars in Hamilton, flying low across roads as they hunted ducks near the Burlington Skyway. Owls born in the remote and roadless far north have likely never seen a car or truck before — or even a human. Check out: www.projectsnowstorm.org. Nature queries: mcarney@interlinks.net or 905-725-2116. — Margaret Carney is a nature-appreciation columnist for Metroland Durham newspapers. She likes to write all about her different bird sightings, most times spotted right from her own backyard. The Great Outdoors Margaret Carney du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 10 P Jeff Mitchell jmitchell@durhamregion.com DURHAM — Nearly a third of the ciga- rettes smoked in Durham Region are con- traband products, a statistic that’s bad news for small retailers who rely on tobacco sales for a significant percentage of their incomes, according to an advocacy group. And the provincial government is doing little to address the problem, says the Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA). The association recently released results of its annual assessment of contraband tobacco in the province, concluding that almost 30 per cent of products consumed in Durham Region originated on the black mar- ket. Oshawa had the highest rate recorded within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), with researchers concluding 35 per cent of the cig- arettes consumed in the city are contraband. “We’re in an epidemic of contraband tobacco. It hurts small business immensely,” said Dave Bryans, chief executive officer of the OCSA. “And the government is closing its eyes to it.” The OCSA identifies two key elements as fuelling the thriving black market for tobacco in Ontario: high taxes on legitimate tobacco products and a failure to address the flood of non-taxed cigarettes coming from First Nations smoke shops and tobacco manufac- turing operations. “There is no political will to fix this prob- lem,” Bryans said. Scott Blodgett, senior media rela- tions adviser with the provincial Ministry of Finance, said the province has taken an aggressive approach in addressing contra- band tobacco — products that are untaxed and unregulated — including strengthen- ing partnerships with law enforcement and working with First Nation communities to regulate products. “Unregulated tobacco undermines pro- vincial health objectives, results in less gov- ernment revenue for critical public services and compromises public safety through links to organized crime,” Blodgett said in emailed responses to questions. “The government is committed to addressing the issue of untaxed, unregulat- ed tobacco through a balanced approach of partnerships and compliance activities,” he said. Bryans countered that if the government is serious about addressing the proliferation of contraband, a first step would be to cur- tail its reliance on tobacco as a generator of tax revenues. A carton of cigarettes currently goes for $110, three-quarters of which is tax, he said. Compare that to far lower prices for illegal cigarettes, and the choice for many smokers seems clear, said Bryans. They’ll opt for the black market, which means they’re not visit- ing convenience stores for their tobacco. Store operators are heavily reliant on tobacco sales, said Bryans. “If you’re a small store operator, 40 to 60 per cent of your daily cash sales are tobacco,” he said. If merchants are losing walk-in custom- ers seeking tobacco, they’re also missing out on ancillary sales of items ranging from snack food to bottled water, Bryans noted. He estimated annual sales diverted by ille- gal tobacco result in losses in excess of $1 bil- lion a year for convenience store operators in Ontario. The OCSA’s contraband study is based on the most rudimentary of methods: research- ers analyzed more than 18,800 cigarette butts found in 135 public areas in 23 regions in eastern, southwestern and northern Ontario, as well as the GTA. “Let’s be honest,” Bryans noted, “it’s unsci- entific. But there are no scientific studies for contraband. And it tells you the trend.” The 2016 study concluded: • Nearly 40 per cent of all tobacco prod- ucts consumed in Ontario are illegal; • The highest rate of contraband con- sumption is in northern Ontario, where ille- gal products account for 60 per cent of all cig- arettes smoked; • In the GTA, 23 per cent of the butts ana- lyzed were determine to be contraband; • Oshawa showed the highest level of con- traband consumption, at nearly 35 per cent. Samples collected at specific sites in Oshawa showed a high rate of contraband consumption, Bryans said. He pointed to results from Oshawa City Hall (28 per cent), General Motors (34.6 per cent) and Oshawa Central high school (40 per cent) as proof. Bryans said that while the gap between prices for legal and illegal products is glar- ing, the province exacerbates the problem by continuing to raise taxes on tobacco. “It’s got so out of hand and been ignored so long that to turn that curve line around is going to be all but impossible,” he said. “There just seems to be no fairness to small businesses right now.” Sung-Ho Lee has owned and operated Millennium Variety and Video in Oshawa for the past 15 years. He said he regularly sees people with contraband cigarettes in their shirt pockets. “I tell them it’s illegal, no good,” said Lee, the chair of the Ontario Korean Business- men’s Association (OKBA). Lee recently hosted the organization in his store for a press conference aimed at bring- ing issues affecting convenience store owners to the forefront before next year’s provincial election. Key among them was the issue of contraband tobacco. Don Cha, general manger of the OKBA, said the organization represents 1,500 stores, and has seen about 500 close in the past decade. Losing 30 per cent of tobacco sales can mean the difference between a business clos- ing or staying open, said Cha. “One third, that’ll save a business,” he said. “I want to see the government do some action on that. They haven’t been doing that.” Cha said the gap between a carton of cig- arettes at a local convenience store and con- traband cartons sold on reserves is huge, about $70 to $100 per carton. “I just got a report from the Niagara area. In the last few years the cheapest cigarettes were selling steadily, all of a sudden it start- ed dropping,” he said. “What does that mean? That means that anybody who is buying the cheapest brand or budget brand of cigarettes are buying contraband tobacco. That scares us and we are paying the taxes. We are not asking for any special treatment. We want to see the government regulate that.” Blodgett, spokesperson for the Finance Ministry, said the government is keenly aware of issues surrounding contraband tobacco and is taking steps to address them. Taxation of tobacco products is part of that strategy, he said. “Tobacco taxation and regulation is a criti- cal component of Ontario’s public health pri- orities under the Smoke-Free Ontario Strate- gy, as tobacco taxes are a proven method of supporting smoking cessation and preven- tion efforts,” said Blodgett. “Tobacco tax rates in Ontario seek to strike a balance between supporting public health objectives under the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy, while also avoiding expansion of the untaxed, unregu- lated tobacco market.” The government’s fall economic state- ment outlined measures aimed at reduc- ing the availability of unregulated tobacco, including strengthening partnerships with police; amendments to provide additional grounds for issuing, suspending and cancel- ling registrations under the Tobacco Tax Act and regulating cigarette filter components to disrupt unlicensed cigarette manufacturers, Blodgett said. The government is also committed to ongoing discussions with First Nation com- munities on issues such as self-regulation and on-reserve sharing of tobacco revenues, he said. “Working together toward commu- nity-based regulation of tobacco provides a basis for mutually beneficial outcomes for the province and for First Nation communi- ties,” Blodgett said. -- With files by Reka Szekely Convenience store association calls on province to get tough in fight against contraband tobacco Illegal smokes Ron Pietroniro / Metroland DURHAM -- DK’s are a brand of cigarettes manufactured and sold on First Nations reserves in Ontario. The peach “duty paid” sticker is a federal sticker that indicates the cigarettes can be sold in authorized duty-free stores and on reserves to First Nation consumers only. 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GRADE 4 September 2018 Grade 6, 7 and 8 students from across Durham able to apply DURHAM — Applications are now open for the Durham Catholic District School Board’s new arts and media pro- gram (AMP). Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 from across Durham are invited to apply to AMP, which launches at All Saints Cath- olic Second- ary School in Whitby in Sep- tember 2018. Applica- tions are open until Dec. 20. Program majors include dance, dramatic arts, instrumental music, media arts, visual arts and vocal music. AMP will be an optional enrolment Grade 7 to 12 program, with students selected based on auditions. All Saints will still offer a standard Grade 9 to 12 program for students who live within the school’s boundary. The DCDSB plans to accept 75 Grade 7 students, 75 Grade 8 students and 150 Grade 9 students in the first year. The online application includes a parent and student questionnaire and teacher referral. There is a $35 non-refundable admin- istrative fee for each program students apply to. The fee will be used to support the audition process. Closed auditions will be held on Jan. 27 and 28 at Notre Dame Catholic Sec- ondary School, with additional dates planned for Feb. 3 at Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School and Feb. 11 at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School, if needed. The DCDSB is advising families to hold all four dates until notified of when their child's audition will be. Visit www.dcdsb.ca/amp for more information, including audition require- ments and tips. 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Pickering Call Today For a Free esTimaTe905-427-2116 www.ajaxroofing.com 2014 READERS’CHOICEAWARDDIAMONDVoted #1 Roofing Company 7 years in a row WE TREATYOUR HOME LIKEOUR OWN •Fully Insured •WSIB Covered •Family Owned and Operated •First Aid Trained •Written Warranty On Workmanship We also do Blown In Attic Insulation DURHAM — A Durham College alum- nus is being recognized by the province for his role in revolutionizing transportation. On Nov. 27, Brent Lessard, a 2014 grad- uate of the college’s mechanical engineer- ing program, received a Premier’s Award, which celebrates outstanding graduates from the Ontario college system. After graduating from Durham Col- lege, Lessard founded rLoop, a non-profit, crowdfunded online think tank and talent resource, focused on developing of a con- ceptual, high-speed transportation system called Hyperloop. Initially proposed by Elon Musk, chief executive officer at Space Exploration Tech- nologies, the system involves propelling passenger or cargo pods in a low-pressure tube using  sustainable and cost-efficient energy, getting them from one place to another at the speed of sound. “I’ve been able to apply so much of what I learned at DC, including being exposed to diverse thinking during my studies, which has been a source of inspiration in my work,” Lessard says. The Premier’s Awards recognizes the social and economic contributions col- lege graduates make to the province and throughout the world. Lessard was one of 118 college graduates nominated for this year’s awards. Durham college grad wins Premier’s Award du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 13 AP $2999 Regular $79 to $89 Select women’s tops by CALVIN KLEINPERFORMANCE,MARC NEW YORK PERFORMANCE and BENCH $3999 Regular $115 Men’s BEN SHERMANlong-sleevedbutton-up shirts $7999 Regular $270 to $440 Select 18" to 21" spinner or upright carry-on luggage in select stylesbySAMSONITE, LONDON FOG,DELSEY, EMINENT, RICARDO BEVERLY HILLS, TRAVELPRO, WESTJET and SWISS WENGER Save $200 $8999 2-piece set .99egular $289R .A. ZWILLING J HENCKELS Marquina ultra-sturdy .5" frying pan 9 and 12" aluminum non-stick wok 2-piece set 55% offother ZWILLING .A. 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FRIDAY,DECEMBER8 Feed the Need in Durham hopes to raise $50,000; 50,000 pounds of donatedfood over holidays Holiday campaign runs through December until Jan. 31 DURHAM — Feed the Need in Durham is hoping the com- munity chips in over the holiday season and helps the organiza- tion reach its goal of collecting 50,000 pounds of food and rais- ing $50,000. The holiday campaign runs from early December until Jan. 31 and is Feed the Need’s largest annual fundraising effort. The organization supports a network of 60 emergency food providers in Durham such as food banks. The dollars collected will be used to cover distribution opera- tion expenses while the food will be distributed to member orga- nizations. “The holiday season is a time when we are celebrating with family and friends, a time for thankfulness and reflection,” said Ben Earle, Feed the Need in Dur- ham’s executive director. “It is also a time to think about those who have a little less, and those who are facing empty cupboards at home. The holiday campaign allows us to collect the food and funds that we need to help those who face hunger, not just through the holidays, but throughout the coming year.” Durham residents can visit www.feedtheneedindurham.ca to donate or they can donate by texting HUNGER to 30333 from a mobile phone. Non-perishable food dona- tions can be dropped off at 371A Marwood Dr. in Oshawa Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. or call 905-571-3863 to arrange for an alternative pickup. DURHAM — The Durham Catho- lic District School is accepting nomi- nations for the Distinguished Catholic Alumni Award. The award recognizes former DCDSB students who have achieved significant success. To be eligible for the award, nominees must have distin- guished themselves through service, accomplishments or career, and must reflect the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations. Visit www.dcdsb.ca for more information or to submit a nomi- nation online. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 31. The 2018 winners will be recognized at the annual Durham Catholic Chil- dren’s Foundation Gala on May 3, 2018. Durham Catholic board opens nominations for alumni award du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 14 AP Speakup aboutemployment challengesinyourcommunity! Takethesurvey:http://bit.ly/durhamworkforcesurvey ThisstudyhasbeenapprovedbytheUOITResearchEthicsBoardREB[REB#14587]onOctober31,2017 The winner of the weekly draw receives 20% of the proceeds from weekly ticket sales.The winner’s ticket has one chance to win the 30% accumulating jackpot by choosing the correct numbered envelope written on their ticket, or chosen in person, that contains the Ace of Spades.You do not need to attend the Draw to win. If the envelope containing the Ace of Spades is not chosen the 30% jackpot keeps growing until the next week’s draw.Every week the deck of cards gets smaller, the odds of winning get higher and the jackpot gets LARGER! Hosted by the Ajax Legion - 111 Hunt Street,AjaxFor more information go to the Ajax Legion website:www.rcl322.com or call 905-683-7811 In Support of Local Charities! Lottery Licence M729782 If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s gambling, phone the Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline at 1 888 230 3505, it’s confidential, anonymous, free and open 24 hours a day. TICkeTS are avaILabLe aT The ajax LegIon Wednesdays 3pm to 6pm, Fridays 4pm to 6pm & 7pm to 9pm, Saturdays 3pm to 6pm. Draws held Sundays at 3pm. Everyone 19 & over welcome to play! Tickets for the next“CatCh the aCe” draw on sale now! tiCkets are $5.00 eaCh Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland Pickering operations centre taking shape PICKERING -- A couple of workers welded some beams at the City of Pickering’s new Municipal Operations Centre on Clements Road recently. HOLIDAY EVENTS Canada 150 Skate Party Sunday, December 10 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm Pickering Recreation Complex Arena Mayor’s Light Tour (55+) Wednesday, December 13 7:00 pm Various pickup locations - see online Tim Hortons Free Family Skates December 27, 29, January 2 & 4 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Pickering Recreation Complex Arena Pickfair Dental Free Skate Thursday, December 28 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Pickering Recreation Complex Arena New Year’s Eve Family Countdown Sunday, December 31 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Pickering Recreation Complex Mayor’s New Year’s Day Levee Monday, January 1, 2018 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Pickering City Hall du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 15 P givethegiftofmusicthisseason 1887 Kingston Rd. (905) 686-4900 pickering@long-mcquade.com 902 Simcoe St. N (905) 434-1612 oshawa@long-mcquade.com Shoponlinegiftcards lessonsmusicalinstruments Bestselection.Bestprice.Bestselection.Bestprice.Holidayshoppingmadeeasy.Holidayshoppingmadeeasy. COUNTDOWN to Christmas 19th Annual 2017ADVERTISING FEATURE CITY OF PICKERINGGREAT COMMUNITY HOLIDAY EVENTS 905.420.4620 @PickeringEvents pickering.ca/greatevents HaveAHolyand Working Hard for Ajax - Pickering Tel: 905-427-2060 or 1-866-924-0312 jdickson.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org www.joedickson.onmpp.ca Joe Dickson, MPP Ajax - Pickering AMerryChristmas du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 16 AP 376 Kingston Road @ Rougemount •Pickering Top off your holiday desserTswiTh delicious premium ice cream *Minimum $25 Purchase $500* offCOUPON Valid at:Brewlicious 376 Kingston Rd.,Unit 10,Pickering (Rougemount & Hwy.2) 905-492-5030 Offer valid until December 31 st,2017 ✁ ✁ •The largest selection of K-Cups in the entire universe.We carry Over 600 varieties • Dolce Gusto Pods,Nespresso compatible Pods & Hot Chocolate • Regular and Fair trade,loose leaf teas and Grind your own coffee beans Keurig K35 Classic Series with your choice of24 K-Cups.Red or Black (While Quantities last) $8899 GreaTGifT Probiotic Drinks Power Drinks GIFT CERTIFICATES MAKEGREAT GIFTS • Ice Cream Cones •Tubs • Sundaes •Tornados • Candies • Chocolates • Sprucewood Cookies • Kawartha Dairy • Chapmans• Ben & Jerry’s (Regular &Vegan)• Central Smith • Reids Dairy • Nestle’s for The coffee lover on your lisT cusTom GifT BasKeTs andsTocKinG sTuffers under $5. Jura Authorized Dealer $500* offCOUPON Valid at:IceTales 376 Kingston Rd., Unit 10,Pickering (Rougemount & Hwy.2) 905-492-0141 Offer valid until December 31 st,2017 ✁ ✁ *Minimum $25 Purchase INTRODUCINGVEGAN PIES & GLUTEN FREE BAKED GOODS! *While supplies last, limit one per customer.No substitutions.Valid only at participatingPANDORA retailers. Prices before taxes.Void where prohibited. Not valid with prior purchase. Excludes gift card purchases. Ornament presented in PANDORA gift box. © 2017 Pandora Jewelry, LLC • All rights reserved STARTING DECEMBER 1 OUR GIFT TO Y OU A limited edition porcelain ornament with a satin bow and decorative silver details FREE WITH YOUR $125 PANDORA PURCHASE * THE P ANDORA STORE AT PICKERING TOWN CENTRE 905.492.7263 du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 17 P Your Local Birding & Nature Experts FORNATURELOVERSOFALLAGES GIVETHEGIFTOFNATUREUniqueGifts Pickering,609KingstonRd.905-231-0459 Oshawa,370TauntonRd.E.905-674-6168www.UrbanNatureStore.ca 460 Hopkins Street,Whitby, ON |905-430-1652 www.williamschocolate.com CHRISTMAS HOURS: Monday - Friday 9am - 5:30pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm. Sunday December17 th, 11am - 4pm. Sunday December 24 th, 10am - 4pm Williams c h o c o l a t e We have sugar andlactose-free lines for those on your gift listwho have diet restrictions Award-Winning European Chocolatier Get’s You Ready For Christmas! Gift Baskets, Hockey Sticks, Letter Initials, Christmas Trees, Novelty Items, Bark, Stockings, Chocolates Gift Boxed, Truffles and More... Corporate orders welcomed. Please call us in advance for large orders! Presents A ROSS PETTYPRODUCTION Choreographer MusiCDireCtor Writers horeographe DireCtor/Choreographer MusiCDireCtor horeographetraceyFlyeMusiCDireCtor Writers MusiCDireCtorBoBFosterWritersWritersMattMUrray& MattattMMUUrrrrraaaya&JereMyDIaMonD JJeeaJBrIDel D a n cha M e r oy eDD I e Gle n K yle Gole M B a s ta rr I n G c y rUs l a n e elgin theatrenov.24 TO Dec.31ROSSPETTY.COm1-855-599 -9090 GroUP savInGs (12 or More) 647-438-5559 Sales ¶Service ¶Installation ¶Since 1974 1645 Dundas St W, Whitby ON L1P 1Y9 905-668-7431www.starlingpoolsandspa.com sales@starlingpoolsandspa.com 99 ¶99 ¶SpaGuardchemicals¶Spapaks¶Pumps¶Parts¶Accessories Year-round du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 18 P Financial Accountability Office releases independent review of how refurbishment will impact electricity ratepayers and the province Jennifer O'Meara jomeara@durhamregion.com PICKERING — Overall refurbishment of nuclear reactors is expected to provide ratepayers with a long- term supply of relatively low-cost, low-emissions elec- tricity, according to Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office's assessment of the financial risks of the nuclear refurbishment plan. The Financial Accountability Office (FAO) provides independent analysis on the state of the province’s finances. Late last month, the FAO released a review of how the nuclear refurbishment plan will impact elec- tricity ratepayers and the province, and identifies how financial risk is allocated among ratepayers, the prov- ince, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Bruce Power. Ontario plans to refurbish 10 nuclear reactors at the Bruce and Darlington nuclear generating stations, and extend the life of six reactors at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. If refurbishment goes as planned, the FAO estimates that nuclear generation would supply a significant pro- portion of Ontario electricity demand from 2016 to 2064 at an average price of $80.7 per megawatt hour in 2017 dollars. (The 2017 nuclear price is $69/MWh and the current price of electricity for most residential and small business ratepayers is $114.9/MWh.) Nuclear prices are expected to increase in the short term during refurbishment. The price is projected to peak in 2027, and then gradually decrease (in 2017 dollars) as the refurbished reactors return to service, according to the financial review. The nuclear refurbishment plan requires a $25 bil- lion upfront capital investment and price projections are based on costs being spread over a large amount of electricity generation over a long period of time. Nuclear generation requires a long-term commitment to recover capital investments, according to the report. Four major potential financial risks were assessed: refurbishment cost overruns, higher than anticipated station operating costs, lower than expected electricity demand and the potential for a lower-cost, low emis- sions alternative generation option to emerge. The FAO estimated that a 30-per-cent increase in refurbishment costs on all Bruce and OPG reactors would increase the average nuclear price by 5.4 per cent. A 50-per-cent increase in refurbishment costs would increase the average nuclear price by 8.9 per cent. The province has built potential “off-ramps” into the refurbishment plans. Work on the first reactor at Dar- lington has to come in on time and on budget before the government will approve going ahead with refurbish- ment of each of the remaining three units. However according to the FAO there is limited effec- tiveness of “off-ramps,” due to economies of scale at nuclear generating stations and the cost of alternative generation options, the  refurbishment cost increases would have to be very significant to make using an off- ramp economical. The Ontario Clean Air Alliance issued a public state- ment calling the FAO report fundamentally flawed, rely- ing on outdated and incorrect information to draw a misleading picture. The environmental organization said the review assumes the price of nuclear power won’t rise above 9.5 cents per kilowatt hour and that nuclear refurbishment cost overruns will not exceed 50 per cent when past Ontario nuclear projects have “gone massively over budget.” “This is a very disconcerting — and highly inade- quate — piece of work from an agency that is supposed to provide an impartial, evidence-based look at major economic decisions facing the province,” said Angela Bischoff, outreach director for the Ontario Clear Air Alli- ance. The Ontario Clean Air Alliance is petitioning the Ontario government to import water power from Que- bec. Financial review finds nuclear refurb should provide low-cost, low-emissions electricity, but not without risk Submitted photo PICKERING -- The Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. Santa’s cool new ice castle brings sparkling holiday magic to Durham kids PICKERING -- Santa Claus came to Town this year to find a brand new home waiting for him. The Pickering Town Centre’s new Ice Castle is the first complete redesign of Santa’s castle at the mall in more than 20 years.   The stunning Ice Castle is illuminated with a dazzling light display and features six sparking turrets, each topped with a festive snowflake. The elaborate display, located in the centre court, is anchored by an artfully trimmed Christ- mas tree decorated with Pandora ornaments. Pickering Town Centre has partnered with the Pandora store to launch the new Ice Castle and spread sparkling holiday magic. Despite the icy-looking exterior, the inside of the castle is cosy and welcoming, making it the perfect spot for little ones to meet Santa Claus. A grand opening celebration of the new Ice Castle was held on Sunday, Nov. 12 and already this year has proven to be the most successful yet — more than 1,900 little ones have lined up to get their picture taken with Santa to date. For families who would love to get their children’s photo taken with Santa but hate the thought of waiting in line, the Pickering Town Centre has you covered. Parents can pur- chase a Fast Pass online to save time by booking their holi- day photos with Santa ahead of time. Santa’s Ice Castle Hours until Dec. 24: • Monday to Saturday — 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. • Sunday — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Christmas Eve (Dec. 24): 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.pickeringtowncentre.com for more informa- tion, or to book a Fast Pass. New Santa Claus Ice Castle display lights up Pickering Town Centre du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 19 AP 1550 Kingston Road, Pickering(at Valley Farm Rd)Phone:(905) 837-0829 HAPPY HOLIDAYSFROMOURFAMILYTOYOURS www.kingswaytransmission.com 195 WESTNEY S. 905-428-8940 3YEAR60,000KMWRITTENGUARANTEESpecialists in the Industry Since 1976 No Hidden Fees!• Front Wheel Drive • Auto & Standard • Rear Ends• Drive Train Service • All 4x4’s • Cars & Light Trucks • Quality Service Financing Available FREE INSPECTIONFREE TOWING -MAJOR SERVICE Straight Talkfrom the Experts 3 YEAR 60,000 KMWRITTENGUARANTEESpecialistsintheIndustrySince1976 Free inspection Freetowing - Major service 3 YEAR 60,000 KMWRITTENGUARANTEE kingswaytransmission@gmail.com Joinusfor Organic Teas, cOffee, DelighTful hanDcrafTeD DesserTs andawholelotmore... Debbie’s bOuTique cafe 94harwoodavesouth ajax,onl1s6h2 Callusat:905 239 6721Visitus@www.debbiescafe.ca Happy holidays fromHappy holidays from The 2017 Christmas Teddy Bear Giveaway Merry Christmas!Merry Christmas! The advertisers in this special feature have donated a tagged stuffed Teddy Bear to children in need in the Durham Region area. We wish to thank everyone who participated this holiday season and say Happy holidays from (905)239-8714 • www.sabinasgrill.com 865 Farewell Street, Oshawa www.durhamregion.com 905.579.4400 Happy holidays from du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 20 AP RE-UPHOLSTERY SERVICES AVAILABLE 1650 BAYLY ST., PICKERING905.837.0288 | www.factorymattress.com HOURS: MON-FRI 10AM-7PM • SATURDAY 10:30AM-6PM Orthopedic 30 year Single Set $252 Double Set $309 Queen Set $359RE-UPHOLSTERY SERVICES A SOFAS n CHAIRS n HEADBOARDS Orthopedic Deluxe 2 Sided Velvet Rose Pillow top Dream Catcher Encased Pocket Coil Single Set $309 Double Set $369 Queen Set $399 Single Set $359 Double Set $399 Queen Set $459 Single Set $539 Double Set $599 Queen Set $649 $3499 RE-UPHOLSTERY KITCHEN& DINING ROOM CHAIR SEATSSome conditions apply.With coupon only.Not to be combined withany other offer. 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Vinyl Windows •Door Systems •Siding •Fascia •Eaves Trough Decking •Window Cut Outs •Porch Enclosures *ON APPROVED CREDIT CALLTODAY TOARRANGEYOUR FREEQUOTE Transferable 50 yearwarranty available *100% terms available WINTER TIRE SPECIALS195/65-15''From $76.00 each •205/55-16''From $83.00 each215/55-17''From $107.00 each •275/65-18''From $188.00 each Supplies limited and taxes and installation extra COURTESY CARS AVAILABLE 963 brock rd s., pickering liv e r p o o l 401 bayly ch u r c h br o c K r D . S . Service & Repairs To All Makes ---Licensed Technicians---- 963 Brock Road, Unit 8+9, Pickering Please call for an appointment 905-492-4002 •905-492-4255 oktireajax.com Mon - Thurs 8 to 6pm, Fri 8 to 5pm Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late! ➡ du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 23 AP SP O R T S Tony Sharpe Guest columnist Sleep your way to peak results Coaches spend countless hours pre- paring their athletes to perform at their best when it matters. We design training plans aimed at achieving peak performance. We encourage them to work hard at prac- tice, help them to prepare mentally for competition and educate them on the importance of hydration and a proper diet. While all of this is essential to achiev- ing good performance, there is one criti- cal factor that is often overlooked: sleep. Athletes can train hard and eat well but if they are not getting enough sleep, it’s unlikely they will ever achieve the great performances they are seeking. There have been a number of stud- ies done about the impact of extended sleep on athletic performance. These studies consistently identified key areas where extended sleep can have signifi- cant impact: improved reaction times, reduced injury rate, better accuracy, faster sprint times and fewer mental errors. One study, conducted at Stanford University with the men’s basketball team where players extended their sleep by an average of two hours per night, showed some dramatic results. Players increased their speed by five per cent, improved their free throw accuracy by nine per cent, improved their three- point shooting by 9.2 per cent, had fast- er reflexes and felt better overall. Most adults need an average of seven to eight hours of sleep to function at their optimal level. For an athlete that would increase to nine to 10 hours and would be even more important for teen- aged athletes. However, getting nine or 10 hours of sleep can be a real challenge, espe- cially with the social demands brought about by mobile computing and other electronics, coupled with other priori- ties such as academics. You can begin to appreciate how difficult getting nine or 10 hours might be. Athletes are some of the most com- mitted and dedicated individuals on the planet. They train hard and follow a strict diet, yet many might be miss- ing out on that ultimate performance because of poor sleeping habits. For those athletes wanting to have that lights-out performance, it could be as simple as turning the lights out and getting more sleep. Former Olympic medallist Tony Sharpe is head coach at the Speed Academy Athletics Club based in Pickering. Contact him at info@speedacademy.ca Weekend sweep of UQTR gives men’s hockey team an eight-game win streak Brian McNair bmcnair@durhamregion.com OSHAWA — The UOIT Ridgebacks men’s hockey team welcomes the chance to heal up, but hopes the 33-day break coming in the schedule won’t also cause a cool-down effect. The Ridgebacks have been on a tear to close out the first semester, winning a program-record eight straight Ontar- io University Athletics (OUA) games, including an unprecedented sweep of the UQTR Patriotes last weekend. Wins of 4-3 in overtime Friday and 3-2 in regulation time Saturday, both at the Campus Ice Centre in Oshawa, improved the Ridgebacks’ record to 10-5-1 and moved them into a tie for fifth place in the tight East Division standings. “We’re on a pretty good roll here and the last thing we want to do is stop, how- ever, we’re so banged up I think every- body here is looking forward to the break and hopefully coming back fresh,” head coach Curtis Hodgins said. After a sluggish 2-5-1 start to the sea- son, the Ridgebacks have reverted to the form that saw them reach as high as fourth last year in the U Sports national rankings. Third-year forward Loren Ulett from Port Perry, the only Durham Region player on the roster, said the team has finally started to come into its own with seven new players in the mix among 15 returnees. “It’s really a lot of hard work from the beginning of the season,” Ulett said in explaining the turnaround. “Everyone is just playing a really good game, 200 feet of ice, and everyone is doing their job. It all adds up: the work ethic’s there and we’re just doing the little things right.” The team has been led offensively by seniors Ben Blasko and Mike Robinson, who have combined 39 points through 16 games, including a team-high 20 points from Blasko, the OUA athlete of the week after the two big wins over UQTR. Robinson is tied for the most goals in the OUA, but beyond his 13 and Blas- ko’s five, no other player on the team has more than three. Rookie defencemen Brennan Roy and Jesse Baird, two of four players added from the RBC Cup champion Cobourg Cougars, lead the blue-line with 14 and 11 points respectively, while the team has been getting outstanding goaltend- ing from seniors Tyson Teichmann and Brendan O’Neill. Hodgins, who left the Cougars to replace an ailing Craig Fisher behind the UOIT bench early in the 2015-16, led the Ridgebacks to a program-best 18-8-2 record and first-ever playoff round victo- ry that season. After the team finished slow and lost out in the first round of the playoffs a year ago, Hodgins would like to finish in the top four and secure home-ice advan- tage again this season, as was the case in 2015-16. McGill (15-3-0), Concordia (12-2-2), UQTR (10-3-4) and Carleton (10-4-2) are the teams above UOIT heading into the break. “There’s just so much parity on this side,” Hodgins said. “After seeing every- body now, I think maybe the gap isn’t as wide as it has been in previous years. From our end, we’re just going to look after our business here and try to get bet- ter every week.” The Ridgebacks return to action Jan. 5 and 6 with a pair of games in Kingston against Queen’s (9-4-3), with whom they currently share fifth place. Ridgebacks roll into holidays Photo by Ray MacAloney / OJHL Images Pickering Panthers on the prowl PICKERING -- Davis Teigen-Katsumi helped the Pickering Panthers to victory in the past two Ontario Junior Hockey League games, 7-4 in Lindsay last Friday and 5-3 in Cobourg Monday. The Panthers are now 13-12-1-1 heading into road games Thursday in Kingston, Saturday in Aurora and Sunday afternoon in Whitby. du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 24 AP Never forget your garbage day again! Download our mobile app by searching for “Durham Region Waste”in the app store. Use your mobile phone to view schedules, receive reminders and get sorting tips for blue box, green bin and garbage. For Android and iPhone smart phones. If you require this information in an accessible format,please contact 1-800-667-5671.If you require this information in an accessible format, please contact 1-800-667-5671. durham.ca/waste Space provided through partnership between industry and Ontario municipalities to support waste diversion programs. SportS Gymnast qualifies for Grand Invitational in Anaheim in January PICKERING — Pickering Athletic Cen- tre's Sophie Fudge will compete for Team Ontario at the California Grand Invitational in Anaheim next month. Fudge was one of eight athletes from the local club at the Ontario Tour Selection com- petition in Belleville, where she qualified by finishing sixth all around in Level 6 out of 96 athletes. She also placed ninth on vault and bars and seventh on floor. Following are the other individual results from the Pickering club athletes: Level 6, Age 14+ (96 athletes competed) Veronica Merisca — 10th vault, 8th bars and 13th AA; Jade Symes — 11th on floor and 21st AA; Jessie McGuire — 4th on beam and 26th AA; Kendall Bird — 44th AA. Level 7, Age 14+ (55 athletes) Mackenzie Horsfall — 4th vault, 5th beam and 11th AA; Brooklyn Fralic — 9th on floor. Level 8,  Age 14+ (69 athletes) Paige Busby — bronze medal on beam. The club also hosted a Winter Classic competition Dec. 2 to 3, with 16 Pickering athletes claiming a total of 36 medals. Paige Busby was the top competitor, plac- ing first all around in her first year in the Level 8, age 15 category. She was first on vault and beam, second on bars and fourth on floor. Following are other club results: All Around silver Veronica Merisca, level 6 age 15 — 2nd on bars and floor and 3rd on vault and beam. Emma Hasson, level 6 age 12 — 1st on vault (9.6), 5th on bars, 2nd on beam and 4th on floor. All Around bronze Jessie McGuire, level 6 age 15 — 1st on floor (9.775), 2nd on beam (9.65) and 5th on vault. Sophie Fudge, level 6 age 14 — 3rd on bars and 4th on vault, 6th on beam and 5th on floor. Addison Otthmann, level 7 age 11/12 — 1st on vault, 8th on bars, 4th on beam and 7th on floor. Mackenzie Horsfall, level 7 age 15 — 1st on vault, 4th on bars, 5th on beam and 3rd on floor. Level 6, age 11 Sasha Salwonchuk — 7th AA, 2nd vault, 4th bars and 3rd on floor; Victoria Romani — 12th AA, 4th vault, 7th floor. Level 6, age 14 Jade Symes — 5th AA, 5th vault, 2nd beam (9.725) and 1st floor (9.6); Kendall Bird — 7th AA, 3rd vault, 7th beam and 6th floor; Mya Murphy — 8th AA, 3rd beam (9.675), 9th on floor. Level 6, age 15 Rachel Hughes — 6th AA, 8th bars, 3rd beam (9.625), 4th floor; Katherine Elder — 9th AA, 8th on beam and 3rd on floor (9.65). Level 7, age 11/12 Brianna Aguanno — 10th AA, 4th vault, 5th bars, 1st on floor (9.75). Level 8, age 13 Ava Wilson — 6th AA, 5th vault and bars, 7th beam and 2nd on floor. Sophie Fudge seeks grand results in California Sophie Fudge 3-on-3 pro hockey skates into Oshawa Plenty of local players OSHAWA — The 3HL Tour will skate back into the Tribute Communities Centre (TCC) Saturday, Dec. 9, for the third time in the past two seasons of the three-on-three pro hock- ey league. There is plenty of local content of inter- est to Durham Region hockey fans, including the Oshawa 88’s team that is home to several current and former members of the Whitby Dunlops, including Marcus Carroll, Shane Terry, Scott Freeman, Brett McConnachie and Matt Baxter. Ed Snetsinger of Ajax also plays for the Oshawa club. Former Oshawa Generals star Brett MacLean, who had his NHL career cut short with a heart ailment, plays for the Guelph Brewers, along with Pickering’s Chris Chap- pell and Whitby’s Brett Mackie. Uxbridge’s Jordan Morrison, Whitby’s Tommy Sumi and Jordan Reed of Ajax are with the Toronto Bees, while Pat Morgan and Jason Dale, both of Pickering, play for London and Kitchener respectively. Oshawa is the fourth stop on the 15-event tour. The first of seven 14-minute games begins at 3 p.m., while the final is sched- uled for 5:30 p.m. Tickets, which cost $9.99 for kids and $19.99 for adults, are available at www.3hltour.com or the TCC box office. du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 25 APONTARIOENERGYBOARDNOTICETOCUSTOMERSOF ENBRIDGE GAS DISTRIBUTION INC.AND UNION GAS LIMITED Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc.and Union Gas Limited haveappliedforapprovaltoamalgamatetoformasinglegasdistribution,transportation and storage company. Learn more.Have your say. Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc.and Union Gas Limited have applied to theOntarioEnergyBoardtoamalgamatetoformasinglenaturalgasdistribution,transportation and storage company effective January 1,2019.The amalgamatedutilitywouldserveover3.5 million natural gas customers in Ontario. Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc.and Union Gas Limited say that their customerswillnotpayanycostsrelatedtotheamalgamationandthatiftheOntarioEnergyBoardapprovestheamalgamation,customers will receive a total benefit of$410 million over a ten-year period. The rates that Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc.and Union Gas Limited currentlychargecustomersaresetusingtwoseparateframeworksthatexpireattheendof2018.The Ontario Energy Board would normally review the costs of each of thegasutilitiestosetnewratesstartingin2019.In a separate application,EnbridgeGasDistributionInc.and Union Gas Limited have asked the Ontario EnergyBoardtodeferitsfullreviewoftheircostsfor10yearsandhaveproposedamethodologyforsettingratesfrom2019totheendof2028usingaformula.The Ontario Energy Board will review this rate proposal in a separate proceeding.You can review the notice and related documents for that proceeding atwww.oeb.ca/EnbridgeUnionRateFramework. THE ONTARIO ENERGY BOARD IS HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING The OEB will hold a public hearing to consider the application filed by Enbridge Gas and Union Gas. We will question both companies on the case.We will also hear arguments from individuals andfromgroupsthatrepresentthecustomersofbothEnbridgeGasandUnionGas.At the end of thishearing,the OEB will decide whether to approve the application. The OEB is an independent and impartial public agency.We make decisions that serve the public interest.Our goal is to promote a financially viable and efficient energy sector that provides you with reliable energy services at a reasonable cost. BE INFORMED AND HAVE YOUR SAY You have the right to information regarding this application and to be involved in the process. •You can review the application filed by Enbridge Gas and Union Gas on the OEB’s website now. •You can file a letter with your comments,which will be considered during the hearing. •You can become an active participant (called an intervenor).Apply by December 20,2017 or the hearing will go ahead without you and you will not receive any further notice of the proceeding. •At the end of the process,review the OEB’s decision and its reasons on our website. LEARN MORE Our file number for this case is EB-2017-0306.To learn more about this hearing,find instructions onhowtofilelettersorbecomeanintervenor,or to access any document related to this case,pleaseselectthefilenumberEB-2017-0306 from the list on the OEB website:www.oeb.ca/notice.You canalsophoneourConsumerRelationsCentreat1-877-632-2727 with any questions. ORAL VS.WRITTEN HEARINGS There are two types of OEB hearings –oral and written.Enbridge Gas and Union Gas have asked for a written hearing.The OEB is considering this request.If you think an oral hearing is needed,you can write to the OEB to explain why by December 20,2017. PRIVACY If you write a letter of comment,your name and the content of your letter will be put on the public record and the OEB website.However,your personal telephone number,home address and email address will be removed.If you are a business,all your information will remain public.If you apply tobecomeanintervenor,all information will be public. This hearing will be held under section 43(1)of the Ontario Energy Board Act,1998,S.O.1998. OntarioEnergyBoard Commissiondel’énergiedel’Ontario SportS Generals muster two points from road trip Brian McNair bmcnair@durhamregion.com OSHAWA — The Oshawa Gen- erals came away with less to show from a busy road trip than perhaps they deserved, says Roger Hunt, the team’s vice president, general manager and, for the time being, coach. Hunt and the Generals made a trip west that included a Satur- day visit to Windsor, where they were reunited for the first time this Ontario Hockey League season with head coach Bob Jones. Jones, a Windsor resident who has missed the entire season with a health issue but is expected to return in early January, saw a “flat” team, in the words of Hunt, lose 3-0 to the Spitfires. But, the other two games were encouraging, he added, especially a 5-3 win in London Friday, and even a 4-1 loss to Sarnia Sunday. “I think we may have played our best complete game of the year on Friday, and for whatever reason we were a little flat on Sat- urday, and maybe emotionally drained a little bit,” said Hunt. “I thought we really rebounded in our play on Sunday certainly, but ran into a top goalie in our league who we couldn’t really get any- thing past till the third.” Hunt, who has joined assistant coaches Greg Nemisz and Nathan McIver behind the bench while they await the return of Jones, said it was great for everyone involved to hook up again with the head coach. Hunt wished they could have played with a little more spark Sat- urday, mind you, but acknowl- edged they ran into two of the best goalies in the league on the week- end, failing to score on 38 shots against Michael DiPietro Satur- day, while slipping only one late one past Justin Fazio on 43 shots Sunday. “I think if you were just look- ing at the scores you would be disappointed, but we have to take something positive out of it and it was probably the toughest swing of the year,” Hunt said. “If you look at performance, it was certainly a good weekend, but moral victories are no good at this time of the year. You’ve got to get real victories.” The Generals faced no slouch in London goalie Joseph Raay- makers Friday, either, but man- aged to beat him four times on 32 shots before captain Jack Stud- nicka completed a two-goal, four- point effort with an empty-net tally. Oshawa, meanwhile, contin- ues to play without No. 1 goalie Kyle Keyser, although it’s possi- ble he will return by the coming weekend. Cole Ceci has done an admi- rable job filling in, and played well again on the weekend, stopping 25 of 28 shots Friday, 22 of 25 Sat- urday and then 22 of 23 Sunday in relief of Mario Peccia, who has struggled in his two starts since being acquired from Kingston. Aside from Keyser, the Gener- als entered the weekend with a healthy roster finally, but then lost Serron Noel to injury again Satur- day. Hunt described it as an upper body injury and not serious, and said it’s possible he will return at some point this weekend as well. The Generals are now 12-15- 2-0 and remain in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of Mississau- ga (11-16-0-1) and four up on North Bay (9-15-4-0) and Sud- bury (9-16-4-0). They have three more games this weekend, at home against Ottawa (14-13-1-1) Friday and Saginaw (14-10-3-0) Sunday sur- rounding a road date in Barrie (15- 9-2-1) Saturday. GENERALLY SPEAKING: Sun- day’s game, a 6:05 p.m. start at the Tribute Communities Centre, is the annual Teddy Bear Toss night, where stuffed animals are collect- ed after Oshawa’s first goal and later distributed to those in need over the holidays … The Generals will lose Renars Krastenbergs for the next five games while he plays for Latvia at the Division I world junior championships in France … Nico Gross will play for Swit- zerland at the main world junior tournament in Buffalo Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 … Kyle MacLean scored his fourth goal of the season in his first game back Friday after a nine- game injury absence … Defence- man Riley Stillman scored his first goal of the season with 3:42 remaining in Sunday’s game, pre- venting a second straight shutout loss … Mason Kohn, who returns to Oshawa Sunday, has fit in nicely with Saginaw since being traded, putting up 6-11-17 numbers in 13 games after just 1-4-5 stats in 10 games with the Generals. du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 26 AP Notice of Commencement and Public Engagement Lincolnville Layover and GO Station Improvements Metrolinx,an agencyofthe Provinceof Ontario,is upgrading its commuter rail system into Regional Express Rail.TheGreater Toronto and Hamilton Area(GTHA)is now home to nearly 7 million people and heading towards 10 million by 2041.To address the urgent transit needs of the GTHA,the Province ofOntariocommittedtoimplementRegionalExpressRailandmakeotherimprovementstotheGOsystem.By 2025,electrified trains will be running every15minutesorbetter,all day and in both directions,within the mostheavily travelled sections of the GO network. The Project Metrolinx is initiating theLincolnville Layover and GO Station Improvements Project to evaluate the proposed addition of tracks at the existingLincolnvilleLayoverandGOStationsite.The existing layover tracks will be used with the proposed tracks to maintain and store trains when they are notinservice.As part of the Project,Metrolinx will: •review the potential effects of the Project on the existing natural,physical,social,and cultural environments;•present mitigation measures to manage the potential effects during construction of the project as well as during post-construction operations;and,•consider the need for upgrades and possible relocation of the existing GO Station passenger facilities currently located at the LincolnvilleLayoverandGOStationsite. This Project is being undertaken insupport of the improved service on the Stouffville Rail Corridor. Project Location The Lincolnville Layover and GOStation site is located at 6840 BethesdaRoadand13190York-Durham Line,in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville. The Process The Project will be completed using the Transit Project AssessmentProcess(TPAP)under Ontario Regulation 231/08 made under theEnvironmentalAssessmentAct.The TPAP is a proponent driven,self-assessment process that provides a defined framework to follow in ordertocompletetheacceleratedassessmentofthepotentialenvironmentaleffectsanddecision-making within a regulated assessment timeline.Following this period,the regulation provides an additional 30-day publicandagencyreview,and further 35-day Ministry of the Environment andClimateChange(MOECC)review. Prior to commencement ofthe TPAP,introductory pre-planningactivitiestookplace.These activities included the study of existingenvironmentalconditionsandpotentialenvironmentaleffectsoftheProjectacrossthenaturalenvironment,socio-economic environment,culturalenvironment,and traffic and transportation,as well as publicandstakeholderconsultation. Metrolinx is assessing the environmental impacts of expanding theLincolnvilleLayoverFacilityaccordingtotheTPAP,as prescribed inOntarioRegulation231/08,Transit Projects and Metrolinx Undertakings.As part of the TPAP,an Environmental Project Report (EPR)is beingprepared.Draft versions of the technical reports that make up thefinalEPRarecurrentlyavailableforreviewontheprojectwebsiteatmetrolinx.com/Lincolnville. Your Opportunity to Have Your Say We thank everyone for their feedback to date.As we formally commence the TPAP,we invite you to provide additional comments and feedback online.Copies of the draft environmental studies are available for review.Please visit metrolinx.com/lincolnville to review the reports and provide your input ontheproposedproject. We encourage our neighbours,agencies,Indigenous communities and other interested persons to actively participate in the TPAP by visitingmetrolinx.com/Lincolnville and contacting staff directly with comments or questions at lincolnville@metrolinx.com. Comments Invited If you have any project-related questions,would like to beadded to the Project’s electronic mailing list or would like to provide input at any time,please contact: Metrolinxc/o Lincolnville Layover and GO Station Improvements Project20BayStreet,6th Floor,Toronto,ON M5J 2W3tel:416-869-3600e-mail:lincolnville@metrolinx.comwebsite:metrolinx.com/lincolnville Comments and information regarding this project are being collected to assist in meeting the requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act.Allpersonalinformationincludedinasubmission–such as name,address,telephone number,email address,and property location –is collected,maintained and disclosed by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change for the purpose of transparency and consultation.The information iscollectedundertheauthorityoftheEnvironmentalAssessmentActoriscollectedandmaintainedforthepurposeofcreatingarecordthatisavailabletothegeneralpublicasdescribedins.37 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.Personal information you submit will become part ofapublicrecordthatisavailabletothegeneralpublicunlessyourequestthatyourpersonalinformationremainconfidential. For more information,please contact Metrolinx (contact information above)or the Ministry of theEnvironmentandClimateChangeFreedomofInformationandPrivacyCoordinatorat416-327-1434. This Notice first issued on November 30,2017. Si vous désirez des renseignements en français,veuillez composer le 416 869-3200 ou le1888GET-ON-GO (438-6646). BEST BUY CORRECTION NOTICE NEWSPAPER RETRACTION FOR THEBESTBUYDECEMBER1CORPORATEFLYER Samsung 55”and 65”4K HDR Smart LED TVs(UN55MU8000 &UN65MU8000):In the December 1st flyer,page20,theSamsung 55”and65”4KHDRSmartLEDTVs(Web Codes:10583506/10583507)were incorrectly advertised with the Geek SquadEliteServiceincluded.Pleasebe advisedthat the GeekSquadElite Serviceand thewallmount(Web codes:10422985/GS 10391556)are not includedwiththepurchaseoftheseTVs.PleaseseeaProductSpecialistforcompletedetails. Wesincerely apologizefor anyinconveniencethis mayhavecausedourvaluedcustomers. SportS AJAX -- After completing four games of the schedule, Dickson’s Printing leads the Ajax Men’s Bas- ketball League with a record of 3-1. Michael’s Eatery, Top Shelf and Logical Technical Solutions are all tied in second at 2-2 while North Alliance Press holds bottom spot at 1-3. In recent action, Logical knocked off NAP 39-25. Robert Clarke led the way with a dozen points while teammate Brian Mar- sellus added 11. John Beyaz tallied eight for NAP. Dickson’s hung on for a 33-27 victory over Shelf in the other game. Claude Whitfield led the winners with 15 points while Cleve Barclay scored eight for Shelf. Dickson’s off to early lead in Ajax men’s basketball Preseason NHL game coming to Oshawa OSHAWA — Several Oshawa Generals alumni will return to the Tribute Communities Cen- tre in September as Oshawa hosts a National Hockey League pre- season game between the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres. Tickets for the game, which is Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at 7 p.m., will go on sale to the general pub- lic on Monday, Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. for $84.99 and $110, plus fees. The Generals have helped move nearly 200 players onto the NHL over the team’s 81-year his- tory, including current Islanders property John Tavares, Cal Clutter- buck, Calvin de Haan, Michael Dal Colle and Mitchell Vande Sompel. Tickets will be available by call- ing 1-877-436-8811, at www.trib- utecommunitiescentre.com and in person at the TCC. du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 27 AP Costco Wholesale CanadaAUDIOLOGIST - Oshawa Costco Hearing Aid Centre has over 58 locations in Canada. We are expanding and looking to add qualified Audiologists. Costco has been recognized as a leader in the marketplace and is dedicated to quality in every area of our business. In addition, we are respected for our outstanding business ethics, which include taking care of our employees. We believe employees are the company's most valuable assets. We are looking for clinicians to help build our team. We will help you to offer the highest standard of care by providing you with access to the latest diagnostic and verification tools. You can dispense a variety of advanced hearing aid technology with no pressure to compromise. You will have regular access to a network of dynamic clinicians that share and learn from one another. Qualifications: • Excellent people skills• Registered or eligible for registration with the CASLPOWe offer an exciting compensation package that includes a competitive salary with an excellent Health and Medical Benefits package. We are looking for enthusiastic team players. If this sounds like the right environment for you please email your cover letter and resume to:hearingcareerscanada@costco.com DURHAM YOUTH ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM • Fifteen (15) positions are now open to unemployed and out of school youth to be involved in a Government Sponsored Skills Link Entrepreneurial Program in the Durham area• Particularly youth from culturally- different backgrounds who want to improve knowledge and skills in starting up and managing their own business• A five (5) months in-take. (Mon-Fri) Skills Link Youth Entrepreneurial Program• Compensation is based on minimum wageEligible participants must be:• Canadian citizens, permanent residents or persons on whom refugee protection has been granted• Age 18-30, Unemployed and Out-of-School, with sound interest and experience, in being self employed.• Not receiving Employment Insurance (EI) Benefits E-mail Resume: tfwc@bellnet.caBy December 22nd 2017. Family Life Centre1527 Bayly Street, PickeringTel: (905) 839-4953 This program is funded by the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy NOW HIRING FORSnow RemovalFT & PT positions available with options for year round work. Currently hiring for: Snow Removal Operators / Laborers, G Lic'd Drivers with clean abstract for crew vehicles to service areas of : Markham, Richmond Hill & Scarborough areas.Salary or hourly available. Experience an asset. Call 416-554-7354 DELIVERY ROUTESAJAXAB202 Addle Cress, Devil Cress, Hettersley Dry 44 papersAB231 Large Cress 37 papersAM904 Doric St, Heron St, Mandrake St 46 papersAM914 Lovergrove Lane 30 papersAM915 Angus Dr, Cooperage Lane 29 papersAM916 Cooperage Lane 29 papersAN968 Sullivan Dry, Nuke Cress 42 papersAN975 Hearne Cress 42 papersAN978 Hearne Cress 36 papersAN980 Sullivan Dry 34 papersAN986 McGonagall Lane, Penne father Lane 51 papersAN991 Barstool Lane, Abele Lane 27 papersAO003 Wilce Dr 48 papersAO027 Weekes Dr 38 papersAR105 Delaney Dr, Hibbins Ave 35 papersAV346 Williamson Dry E 39 papersPICKERINGClaremont- Routes available in the Claremont areaPI364 Get Circle (46 Papers)PI374 Get and Pickering Poky (54 Papers)PI376 1945 Denmark (38 Papers)PI379 1915 Denmark (36 papers)PI380 Denmark Rd, Jawing Cir (32 Papers)PI333 1580 Kingston Road (43 Papers)PI334 1850 Kingston Road PI391 1623 Pickering Parkway (67 Papers)PI404 1790 Finch Ave.(41 Papers)PI444 Alwen Circle (40 Papers)PI445 Jay win Circle (40 Papers)PJ395 Holy Hedge and Major Oaks (61 Papers)PJ396 Green mount and Denville (63 Papers)PJ397 Strathmore Cress. (46 Papers)PJ398 Major Oaks and Annan Woods (33 papers)PJ407 Alpine, Wildwood and Rees or (57 Papers)PJ408 Wildwood and Terracotta (45 papers)PJ410 1443-1521 Major Oaks (50 Papers)PV200 Autumn Cress (52 Papers)PV201 Foxwoods Trail and Autumn Cress. (52 Papers)PV202 White Cedar (48 Papers)PV203 Silver Maple Drive (52 papers)PV 204 Sparrow Circle, Chickadee Cart. (65 Papers)PV205 Autumn Cress. (39 Papers) PV217 Treetop Way and Calving ton (35 Papers)PD233 Erin Gate Blvd (44 Papers)PT903 West creek and Tranquil (31 papers)PT904 1748-1808 Pine Grove (25 Papers)PT905 1804-1865 Pine Grove (23 Papers)PT906 Rockwood and Prefill (23 Papers)PT907 Wood view (22 Papers)PT910 1840 West creek (33 papers)PT911 Lawson, Castle and Walcott (50 papers)PT912 West creek and Moss brook (46 papers)PT913 Pine Grove and Sand Hurst (52 Papers)PT914 Wood view, Hogarth, Sweetbriar and Rockwood (51 Papers)PT916 Valley Ridge, White Pine and West Lane (40 papers)PT917 Pine Grove and Nor Dane (45 Papers)PT918 Sand Hurst and Meldrum (60 papers)PT921 Valley Ridge and Thicket (42 PapersPT926 1995 Pine Grove Townhomes (43 papers)PQ626 Hoover and Richardson (35 Papers)PQ622 Fawn dale, Riverview and Valley Gate (45 Papers)PQ632 Hoover and Little ford (55 houses)PQ641 Rouge Valley and Little ford (31 Papers)PQ666 Howell and Hoover (38 papers)PQ646 Fiddlers and Tomlinson (25 Papers)PQ647 Rouge mount Drive 30 PapersPQ649 302-487 Sheppard Ave (67 papers)PQ634 506-698 Sheppard Ave (60 papers)PI368 Larks mere Cart and Beech lawn (57 Papers)PI369 Beech lawn and Ashford Drive (54 Papers)PI370 Marsh court Drive (41 Papers)PI371 Marsh court Drive (35 Papers)PI372 Fairfield and Bainbridge (46 Papers)PI373 Fairfield, Bainbridge, Ban bury and South view (48 Papers)PI375 Bainbridge and Burnside (50 Papers) If you are interested in a Route that isn’tlisted please call (905)683-5117and have your name put on a waiting list.All Routes Listed are not necessarily available SCHEDULER/PLANNER1 year Maternity Leave Contract Reporting to the Production Manager (Pickering), this position is critical to the Plant's success, and is responsible for the developing and maintenance of project schedules for a production shop, uploading and integrating schedules made by others. He/she will create and communicate real time metrics to increase visibility for labour efficiency, transportation costs, purchasing spend, inventory levels/turns, and material usage/yields. Please note this is a one year term position to provide coverage for a maternity leave. Core Job Functions and Responsibilities: l Provide the master production plan based on historical trends, business development forecasts, actual incoming volume and inventory levels; l There should be a plan for each work area by day/week/month to determine processing rates. l Generate reports and provide detailed updates against plan as well as corrective action recommendations to ensure budget and scorecard targets are met l Responsible to ensure compliance activities are completed accurately and on time Education and Experience:2 or more years' experience in planning, scheduling, production/inventory control in a manufacturing or similar facility with an ERP system. Uses Primavera Project planner (P6) as well as experience with MS office and MS project software. Must be able to manage multiple projects at one time, while performing regular day to day duties. Effective communicator at all levels, able to break down and convey ideas simply, checks for understanding and gets buy-in on what needs to get done Please send resume to les.jasmer@jacobs.com SERVICE ROUTE DRIVERREQUIRED - FULL TIME Chantler's Environmental Services Ltd is presently recruiting for a full time Service RouteDriver working out of our Pickering location. Positions available for G and DZ drivers. Steady hours. Benefit package. Clean abstract required. Fax resume to: 519-855-9839 orEmail: carrie@chantlers.on.ca UNIQUE YORK/DURHAM TELCO INVESTMENT OPPORTUYNITYDeployment of ultra-high speed fibre optic lines for internet, telephone and full content television services. Replaces existing low speed copper service for up to 55,0000 residential and 40,000 business subscribers. Fibre trunk lines already in place. Comparable deployment evaluations available. Minimum investment $100,000 maximum investment $10,000,000.Interested parties please contact invest@buildtelco.com OSHAWAPREMIUM RENTALSwww.qresidential.ca GOVERNOR MANSIONS 110 Park Rd. N. (905-723-1712) PARKLANE ESTATES 50 Adelaide Ave. (905-720-3934) 949 SIMCOE ST. N. OSHAWA 2-bedroom, $1100 inclusive 1 parking, no pets. Avail. Jan. 1st. References Req. Call for details. 905-723-1647, 905-720-9935 45 COLBORNE ST. W. OSHAWA 1-bedroom, $950 inclusive adult-lifestyle building, 1 parking, no pets. Near Hospital. Avail. immed. References Req. Call for details. 905-723-1647 AJAX 3-BEDROOMTOWNHOUSE Close to parks, schools, amenities. $850 plusCall 905-683-6203 OSHAWA3-BEDROOM APARTMENTIN 4-PLEX, Fenced patio. Water included. $1425+ utilities. No pets. Available immediately. Call Dee 905-626-5777. Careers GeneralHelp EXPERIENCED PAINTER.Must have own vehicle,tools, and clean abstractPlease emailmmconstruction@rogers.comor call 905-239-4368 Careers GeneralHelp EXPERIENCED WELDERfor fabrication shop in Oshawa. Fulltime. Automotive experience an asset. Lift truck experience an asset. Please submit resume to janet@decametal.com Careers GeneralHelp GeneralHelp GeneralHelp GeneralHelp BusinessOpportunitiesB GeneralHelp BusinessOpportunitiesB Apartments & Flats For RentA Houses for Rent Townhousesfor RentT GeneralHelp VAN HEMMEN TIRES requires Experienced LICENSED MECHANIC & TIRE CHANGER to start immediately. Must have good knowledge of all makes of vehicles and models. Email resume: vanhemmentire@ gmail.com or fax 905-666-1638. Apartments & Flats For RentA Houses for Rent Townhousesfor RentT Salon & SpaHelp We are looking for experiencedBARBERS/HAIRSTYLISTSto join our team at The Barber Shop located in Pickering. Pay will be 750+ per/week. Give us a call at 905-420-1200 or walk in with a resume. Apartments & Flats For RentA Skilled &Technical Help FITTER + WELDEREMPCO in Whitby. Understand engineering drawings. CWB certified or min. 3yrs exp. in SMAW and FCAW for heavy plate/pipe. Competitive wages and Benefits. info@empco.com TeachingOpportunities UMBRELLA CENTRAL DAY CARE SERVICES is hiring for 4 positions in Oshawa. Three full time positions required, RECE's and assistants and one part time assistant position. Benefits included with full time positions. Start date Jan 2, 2018. Valid Standard First Aid and Infant CPR (level C) and a current criminal reference check required. Please submit resumes by Dec 12 to sacoordinator@umbrelladaycare.com Apartments & Flats For RentA AJAX- OXFORD TOWERS. Spacious apartments, quiet bldg, near shopping, GO. Pool. 1, 2 & 3-bedrooms available from Dec 1st1-bdrm from $1129+parking*Ask about Discount , 2-bdrm from $1299+parking,3-bedrooms from $1399+parking. Call 905-683-5322 Articlesfor SaleA CarpetI have several1000 yds. of new Stainmaster and100% Nylon carpet.Will do livingroom and hallfor $389. Includescarpet, pad andinstallation(25 sq. yards)Steve289.274.5759CarpetDeals.ca Classifieds LocalWork.ca Monday - Friday 8am to 5pm • Oshawa 905-576-9335 • Ajax 905-683-0707 • Fax 905-579-4218 • classifieds@durhamregion.com To place yourApartment for Rent call 905-683-0707and let one ofour professionaladvisors help you.View Classifieds online @durhamregion.com du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 28 AP St. Martin’s Anglican Church The Christmas season can feel dark.All those who find this time difficultare invited to be still and reflect on God’s light and love at: Healing and Hope A quiet service of readings, prayer, & music Thursday, December 14, 7:30 p.m. 1203 St. Martin’s Drive, Pickering ON L1W 1M9 South off Bayly, West of Liverpool 905-839-4257•www.stmartinsanglican.ca Come&Worship To advertise in this section please contact Tina at 905.215.0442 or by Email: tellis@durhamregion.com Dave SmithJune 1937 - December 2015 Lovingly rememberedby his family and friendsas Christmas approaches. His belief in the power of kindness continues to guide us. Happy Holidays Rememberyour loved onesat this special time of yearin our special section forChristmasTributes PublishingDecember 21Deadline December 19 For further informationplease call one ofour Classifi ed SalesRepresentatives at905-576-9335 or905-683-0707 NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND OTHERS IN THE ESTATE OF MARY MARGARET CHARETTE, DECEASED All Persons having claims against the Estate of Mary Margaret Charette, late of the Town of Ajax, who died on or about the 2nd day of April, 2017, are hereby notified to send particulars of same to the undersigned on or before the 14th day of December, 2017, after which date the Estate will be distributed by the undersigned having regard only to the claims then filed. Dated: November 23, 2017 Catherine E. Chalmers, Estate TrusteeWith a Will - by:Andrew D. Felker, Esq.WALKER, HEAD LAWYERSBarristers and Solicitors#800 - 1315 Pickering ParkwayPickering, Ontario L1V 7G5(905) 839-4484 / 683-3444 Saturday, December 9, 2017Ajax Community CentreHMS Room 75 Centennial Road, Ajax.10am - 3pm SANTA’SBIG GIFT& CRAFTSHOW Christmas Special - Make An offer2014 HONDA CR-VPearl White, 71,000 klms, excellent condition Bluetooth, moon roof, backup camera, cert. Best offer. Frontline Auto, Ajax 416-871-7836 LegalNotices CarsC LegalNotices CarsC HOT TUB COVERS All Custom covers, all sizes and all shapes, $375.00 plus tax Free delivery. Let us come to your house & measure your tub! Pool safety covers. 905-259-4514. www.durhamcovers.com STEPHENSON'S APPLI- ANCE. Brand new Frigi- daire products. White dishwasher $369; Stain- less steel dishwasher $399; Self-clean stain- less steel glass top range $649; 18 cu ft fridge w/glass shelves $699; Everyday low prices on many other products. Free local delivery. Visit our show- room at 154 Bruce St. Oshawa. 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Log on to: durhamregion.com du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 29 AP WH A T ’ S O N Five things to do this weekend DURHAM — Music at church in the south and Santa in the north.1At Forest Brook Community Church, 60 Kearney Dr., Ajax, The Music4Life Ensemble presents Strings of the Sea- son on Dec. 9 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. An afternoon of seasonal live music, followed by refreshments and a silent auction. The doors open at 3:30 p.m. and the music starts at 4 p.m. Admis- sion is $10 for adults, $7 for students and seniors. Kids are free.2In Pickering, the Safe Haven Worship Centre, 1084 Salk Rd., Unit 12, hosts a Free Christmas Concert on Dec. 9 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The concert features performer Carrie Guse and there will be snacks afterwards. Learn more by emailing janet.hill@rogers.com or call- ing 905-683-3160.3If you have to shop, the 12 days of Christmas are on at META4 Contempo- rary Craft Gallery, 200 Queen St., Port Perry, until Dec. 12. Look for savings on designated items each day, including wood pieces (Dec. 7), scarves and purs- es (Dec. 8), pottery (Dec. 9), necklaces (Dec. 10), platters and serving pieces (Dec. 11) and visual art (Dec. 12). Visit www.meta4gallery.ca.4On the ice, the 3HL Oshawa Show- case returns to the Tribute Communities Centre, 99 Athol St. E., Oshawa, on Dec. 9 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The 3HL Tour is an eight-team, three-on-three profes- sional hockey league featuring Canadi- an hockey talent. In Oshawa, teams will be competing for a share of a $15,000 cash purse. Tickets are $19.99 for adults, $9.99 for kids and $29 for a VIP seat. The latter includes a pre-game player meet- and-greet and reserved seating in the first row. Children two and under don’t need a ticket if seated in your lap. For tickets, visit www.tributecommunities- centre.com or call the box office at 905- 438-8811.5Finally, take in the Children’s Old- Fashioned Christmas on Dec. 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the The Scugog Shores Museum Village, 16210 Island Rd. on Scugog Island, just east of Port Perry. Step back into the past and tour the his- toric village, traditionally decorated for the holidays. There are kids’ activities, including a visit with Santa Claus and his elf in the Pioneer Church and cre- ating unique ornaments. Hot chocolate and apple cider will be served. Admis- sion is $5 for adults, $4 for students and $2.50 for seniors. Children 12 and under are $2, or free with a non-perishable food donation for Operation Scugog. See more events at www.durhamregion.com-events Pickering church presents A Charlie Brown Christmas Free shows, dinner at St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Mike Ruta mruta@durhamregion.com DURHAM -- A Charlie Brown Christ- mas is a favourite TV program in the holiday season. And for the second time in recent years, young people at a Pickering church will bring it to life on stage in a free production followed by a free din- ner. The fun and food is at St. Paul’s on- the-Hill Anglican Church, 882 Kings- ton Rd., on Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. “It’s quite an exciting time for them because they actually get to feel what it’s like to be on stage,” says Jacquie James, co-director along with Cath- erine Amell and Dee James, of the young people in the cast. Many were too young to know about the classic cartoon, so they had to watch it and see a DVD of the previ- ous production to see how it translates from TV onto the stage. The goal is to try and keep it as similar to the TV ver- sion as possible. In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown is depressed by the commercialization of Christmas and seeks to find its true meaning. James says about 30 south Durham children and youths ranging from JK to Grade 12 are involved and have been rehearsing since late Septem- ber. She explains that a core group of six to eight performers returns each year. Newcomers are given small roles until they prove themselves after two or three years, when they are ready to tackle the bigger parts. “We try to get kids that come from all spectrums in life,” she says. “Every- body gets a chance.” James notes that her daughter and her husband, as teens, played Lucy and Charlie Brown. The church’s young people have put on a Christmas production for about two decades and James says the all- ages show is “open to everybody, all walks of life. “Our hope is that we can bring a little bit of joy to people that might not be able to afford going out,” she says. After the production, dinner is cour- tesy of Little Caesars. You must pre-register if you wish to attend on Dec. 16. E-mail James at jac- quiejames.tboc@gmail.com or call her at 905-621-0155. If you can’t make it on Dec. 16, see A Charlie Brown Christmas on Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. There is no need to pre-regis- ter. The church is just east of Whites Road. The cast features Dominic Everitt as Charlie Brown, Olivia Downes as Lucy, Merrick Baskie as Linus, Stefanie Dempsey as Sally, Elisa Downes as Violet, Lilly Huygaerts as Freida, Beth- any Brown as Patty, Aalyiah Adams as Marcie, Faith Lee as Charlotte Braun, Monique Brown as Schroeder, Char- lie Neeland as Shermy, Matthew Huygaerts as Pig Pen and Dane Sevilla as Snoopy. Photo by Edward White PICKERING -- Olivia Downes as Lucy and Merrick Baskie as Charlie Brown in ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’. See the production at St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Anglican Church in Pickering on Dec. 16 and 17. Saturday night show at the Music Hall DURHAM — So far, so great, says Peter Jackson. The Ajax rapper is on a Made in Jamai- ca Canadian radio promo tour with Jamaican-American rapper Sean Kings- ton. It began late last month in British Columbia and will see the duo perform a number of shows, including at the Oshawa Music Hall on Dec. 9. “This tour has been amazing so far,” Jackson says in an email from B.C. “It is 21 shows across Canada and the first seven have all been sold out.” Jackson has been riding pretty high this year following the release of his Married 2 Success EP. It peaked at No. 2 in Canada the first week it was released on iTunes and the track On a Wave has garnered more than 214,000 YouTube views. Kingston’s first album, Sean Kingston, was released in 2007. The single Beautiful Girls is a peren- nial favourite, with close to 300 million YouTube views. The Music Hall is at 39 King St. E. and the music starts at 10 p.m. General admission tickets are $45, ulti- mate fan VIP experience seats are $100 and the private booth package is $750. Tickets are available at www.tick- etscene.ca. You can also buy tickets at Long and McQuade and Wilson and Lee Music Store in Oshawa, Urban Fashion in Whitby and System Music Warehouse in Pickering. Sean Kingston and Ajax’s Peter Jackson play Oshawa du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 30 AP Bookingnowfor2018! BirthdayParties Fan-fabulouspartiesfor children5-12years!Six themestochoosefrom. LearningAdventures Weofferschooltours, heritage-to-goprograms, andspeakerspresentations. VenueRentals Ourheritagegardensand restoredbuildingsprovide amagicalbackdropfor engagement&family photos,weddings,and otherprivateevents. Contactusnowfordetails! @PickeringMuse pickering.ca/museum 686-4343905 WHAT’S ON ne w s d u r h a m ne w s d u r h a m ne w s d u r h a m Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland A juggernaut of sound AJAX -- Clockwise from above, The Juggernaut Jam Band performed before open- ing up the stage for musicians to come and jam with them during the Durham International Music Attraction Show at the Ajax Convention Centre on Nov. 19. Steve ‘Doc’ Holliday and Nick Mavroukas also played for guests. du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 31 AP WHAT’S ON Mike Ruta MRuta@durhamregion.com DURHAM — Circus jugglers and acro- bats perform to holiday music played by an orchestra in Cirque Musica Holiday’s Believe. The production comes to Oshawa’s Trib- ute Communities Centre (TCC) on Dec. 16, directed by Noe Espana. In an interview, he says in discussing the show concept with Steve Cook, Believe’s creator and producer, the word ‘believe’ came up. “A lot of the stuff we do in the (circus) business is very hard, very difficult,” he says. “You risk your life at times. But when you believe very strongly in something, it happens. It magically happens. It just awes people, what we do on stage.” With the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra playing some of the holiday season’s greatest music, circus perform- ers hang, juggle, contort and demonstrate feats of strength. It’s an international cast with the performers hailing from places such as Russia, Spain, Italy, Ecuador and the U.S. Espana’s 14-year-old son, Elan, is a juggler and his wife, Vivien, is one of the aerialists in the show. Espana is a fifth generation circus per- former who started in the business when he was quite young. “You see the audience clapping for your parents and you want to do it,” he says. The life of a circus performer is a life of travel, reflected in Espana’s family. He hails from Spain, but lived in Mexico for 11 years and now calls Florida home. His daughter was born in South Korea. His wife, origi- nally from Italy, was born in Spain. Espana was an award-winning perform- er, famous for tackling circus acts that demanded equal measures of timing, skill and style. For two decades he has been at the forefront in creating circus-themed entertainment. Espana won a Silver Clown at the International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo and is a recipient of the cov- eted Action Maverick Award. “I always liked the whole spectacle of shows and I pay a lot of attention to all of the different elements,” he says. Espana says part of the show’s concept is that at the beginning the cast members are regular people who transform into performers for “one magical evening” on Christmas Eve. There’s humour in the show in the form of a comedian. “He’s trying to do extraordinary things and he fails in a very funny way,” Espana says. He says the show is an “amazing experi- ence.” Cirque Musica Holiday — Believe is at 7:30 p.m. and the TCC is at 99 Athol St. E. Tickets range from $49.99 to $75. For tickets, log on to www.tributecommu- nitiescentre.com, visit the box office at 99 Athol St. E. or call it at 1-877-436-8811. An ‘amazing experience’ coming to Oshawa next weekend Supplied photo DURHAM -- Cirque Musica Holiday -- Believe comes to Oshawa’s Tribute Communities Centre on Dec. 16, featuring an international cast of circus performers with the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra playing holiday music. du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 32 P flyers •coupons •deals • cash back Get this coupon and more at www.save.ca/coupons *Coupons subject to availability. by Agropur save $150 on selected agropur fine cheeses* *VALID ON:L’EXTRA BRIE (170g and up), OKA L’ARTISAN (180g and up), AGROPUR GRAND CHEDDAR (200 g and up), or CAMBOZOLA (variable weight wedge of 160g and up). WHAT’S ON Jason Liebregts / Metroland All in the family PICKERING — Audrey Ross, centre, is performing in The National Ballet of Canada’s production of The Nutcracker in the role of a lamb. She is following in the footsteps of her older sisters, Brigitta and Sonja, who had roles in past productions. County Town Singers Christmas in Oshawa DURHAM — Durham’s County Town Singers are celebrating the holiday season with two concerts. The group performs Wonderful Christ- mastime concerts on Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. in Oshawa. Tickets are $25, $20 for seniors and stu- dents and $5 for kids under 12. Tickets are available at the door. For advance tickets visit www.county- townsingers.com or contact Julianna Pap- rocki at 905-243-5625. The concerts are at Trinity Pentecostal Church, 900 King St. E. Espressivo Singers play Christmas concert in Whitby, accompany Liona Boyd in Scugog Two concerts on busy Saturday for group DURHAM — Durham’s Espressivo Sing- ers have a big day on Dec. 9. But, they didn’t pass up an opportunity to make it even bigger and busier. The Singers perform their Christmas con- cert, playing Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremo- ny of Carols and other pieces, on Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Westminster United Church, 1850 Rossland Rd. E., Whitby. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for chil- dren. They are available at www.espressi- vosingers.ca or by calling 289-312-0488. But, before that, the singers have a date with Liona Boyd. They have been asked to accompany the classical guitarist at her A Winter Fantasy concert, also on Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. They will join her for Canada My Canada, Song for Ontario, Christmas Dreams and O Come All Ye Faithful. Boyd is in concert with Andrew Dolson at Port Perry’s Town Hall 1873, 302 Queen St. Tickets are $61.50 and available in person or online at www.townhall1873.ca. Concert in Oshawa Mike Ruta MRuta@durhamregion.com DURHAM — As Canada 150 comes to a close,  Durham Philharmonic Choir 25 begins. The Durham Philharmonic Choir cele- brates its 25th anniversary in the 2017/18 season, starting with its annual Christmas concert. The Night Before Christmas is on Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. at College Park Seventh- day Adventist Church, 1164 King St. E., Oshawa. “The choir has flourished over the last 25 years,” says Robert Phillips, the Durham Philharmonic Choir's (DPC) founding con- ductor. “It’s really brought a lot of people together, people of all ages. “There’s no pretentiousness about it at all. We just want to do the best we can.” He answered the call when approached about a new choir to serve the region. Trained as a classical musician, Phillips is in landscape construction, so it’s a nice way for him “to get some value” out of his edu- cation. Most of the members come from Oshawa and Whitby. But others are from Pickering, Ajax, Brooklin, Newcastle and even Toronto. Phillips says in recent years people who have moved here from other parts of the world, such as the U.S. and the U.K., have sought out a choir and joined. In its roughly 80 concerts, the DPC has performed many of the big choral works by greats such as Mozart and Bach in addi- tion to spiritual, folk, Celtic, show and pop works. The choir has welcomed professional and amateur instrumentalists from across the Greater Toronto Area and been the guest of other organizations. In addition, the DPC has for many years awarded a scholarship, in memory of for- mer accompanist Marianne Turner, to advanced voice students studying at the col- lege/university level. Four choristers have been with the DPC since the beginning: Joyce Marsh, Bob Dudar, Dianne Phillips and Marilyn Mankiewicz. For more information about the choir, visit www.durhamphilharmonic.ca. Tickets for The Night Before Christmas are $35 ($15 for post-secondary students and $5 for youths, at the door only). Tick- ets are available at the door. For more ticket and subscription information, contact June MacLean at 905-728-1739. Choir’s 25th anniversary season begins du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 33 P Create a sexy, sultry new you for 2018! New classes start the weekof January 8,2018. Go to zahras.ca/classes to see whatclasses are available. Zahra’s School of Middle Eastern Dance 1250 St.Martins Drive, Unit 100,Pickering 416-727-7896 zahras-school@bellnet.ca www.zahras.ca Looking for latest info about your community? Pickering Community information in every Wednesday paper Your City. Right Now.pickering.ca WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PICKERING Arts events Friday, december 8 Open Mic nite @ the Cafe 7 p.m. 10 p.m. OpenStudio art cafe, 617 Liverpool road, Pickering. Open mic nite. come out to this fun-filled, musical evening at the cozy waterfront cafe. bring your friends and any instruments you like to play. everyone gets a chance to play a few tunes and encouraged to collaborate when inspired. covers and originals wel- come. $3. openstudioartcafe.com/ Christmas Friday, december 8 SCOutS Christmas tree Sale 6:30 p.m. 9 p.m. bayFair baPTiST cHUrcH, 817 Kingston road, Pickering. christmas Tree Sales. SaTUrday, december 9 Jingle Jam - Family Sing-Along 10 a.m. 12 p.m. altona road community church, 1367 alto-na road, Pickering. The whole family is invited to join in play- ing and singing holiday classics and music together tunes that are sure to get everyone in a festive mood. Play an instrument? bring it along and jam with us. [Presented by: music Together with Little rocks]. Free Free Christmas Concert! 7 p.m. 8:30 p.m. Safe Haven Worship centre, 1084 Salk road, Unit 12,, Pickering. a special christmas concert featuring the talented carrie Guse. a time to enjoy and reflect on Jesus’ birth and His first coming. We will have snacks after the concert. Free www.safehavenworship.com/ For seniors WedneSday, december 13 WeAlth Seminars 2 p.m. 4 p.m. Pickering Public Library, One The esplanade 2nd Floor auditorium, Pickering. Wealth management for Older adults. This workshop presented by isaac musial will provide insight into maximizing your wealth and understand successful financial strate-gies. register to reserve a seat, however drop-ins are welcome. Free Faith TUeSday, december 12 Advent Film Series 7 p.m. 10 p.m. St. martin’s anglican church - Pickering, 1203 St. martins dr., Pickering. Please join us on Tuesdays in advent to watch three different films and reflect on how they talk about God. each film is fol-lowed by a short discussion, led by The rev. dr. alison Falby. all welcome! dec. 5 and 19. Films are suitable for all ages; dec. 12 film is rated r for mature themes. See our website for film details. Free www.stmartinsanglican.ca THUrSday, december 14 heAling and hope service 7 p.m. 8:30 p.m. St. martin’s anglican church - Pickering, 1203 St. martins dr., Pickering. a service of scripture, prayer, music, and reflection for those having difficulty experi- encing the joy of the christmas season. all are welcome to come and feel the comfort of God’s love. Free www.stmartinsanglican.ca Meetings mOnday, december 11 piCkering powerhouse toastmasters 7 p.m. 8:30 p.m. Pickering central Library auditorium, 1 The espanade, Pickering. Want to learn how to strengthen your speak- ing and leadership skills? come visit us at Pickering Powerhouse Toastmasters. Weekly meetings on mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the library’s auditorium. We meet every mon- day except for statutory holidays. Guests are always welcome. Free Support Groups mOnday, december 11 piCkering english Conversation Circle 3 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Pickering Welcome centre immigrant Ser- vices, 1400 bayly St., Pickering. newcomers practice english in a welcom- ing environment, expand social networks and learn about the community. Free www.cdcd.org Library Programs SaTUrday, december 9 videO game tournaments (16+) 2 p.m. 4 p.m. Pickering Public Library, 1 The esplanade S, Pickering. if you can’t make it to eVO, come show off your skills at one, or all, of our gaming tour-naments. compete against other PPL gam-ers for awesome prizes and recognition on our Twitch stream, dec 9 - rocket League & mario Kart 8 - @Pc Quiet Study room. can’t make the events? Watch our stream - twitch.tv/pickeringpubliclibrary. Free TUeSday, december 12 teen tuesday in the lab (13 - 19 yrs) 4 p.m. 7 p.m. Pickering Public Library, 1 The esplanade S, Pickering. Teens Only in the computer Lab! Use it to your advantage. Free WedneSday, december 13 pAint night 6:30 p.m. 9 p.m. Pickering Public Library - George ashe Library, 470 Kingston rd, Pickering. Have you always wanted to try a paint night? now’s you chance! Join us for a creative night of guided painting, fun, and enjoy the picturesque scenery of our Petticoat branch. all materials are provided and participants will leave with a one-of-a-kind art piece. aprons are available, however please dress accordingly. Free COOkieS, Cakes, S`mores and More (13-19) 7 p.m. 8:30 p.m. Pickering Public Library - George ashe Library, 470 Kingston rd, Pickering. cookie dough Stuffed Oreo’s, Sinful S`mores Parfait, and more! make some seri-ous deliciousness at the library. Free THUrSday, december 14 YOuth drop-in (13 - 19 yrs) 3:30 p.m. 5 p.m. Pickering Public Library, 1 The esplanade S, Pickering. come on by for some competitive gaming, (Who me?! – says e) and snacks galore. Free Q: How do I submit my event to the newspaper? A: When you input your Event information at durhamregion.com it can be seen by as many as 500,000 unique visitors every month so it’s a great way for you to spread the word about your event. A selection of those events are reverse pub-lished to appear in our print editions every week. (Whitby This Week, Oshawa This Week, Clarington This Week, Ajax & Pickering News Advertiser, Uxbridge Times-Journal, Port Perry Star, Brooklin Citizen, Clarington East Citizen, Durham Parent) Here’s how you get set up to start entering events:1. Visit durhamregion.com2. Click on the black REGISTER link near the top of the page, on the right 3. Create a free account by entering the infor- mation in the fields and clicking on CREATE ACCOUNT4. You will receive an e-mail; click on the link in it to confirm your account.5. You can now access the events calendar by clicking on the EVENTS link (near the top of our home page) and then scrolling down to POST YOUR EVENT 6. When entering event information, note that you are required to indicate if the event is free or not du r h a m r e g i o n . c o m Ne w s A d v e r t i s e r • De c e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 7 34 AP AJAX1 Westney Rd.at Hwy #2905-686-2182 PICKERINGPickering Town CentreNext To Sears905-420-0271 WHITBY1110 Dundas St. E.West of Anderson905-668-9222 OSHAWA 534 Ritson Rd. North of Hwy 401905-728-6221 from october 3rd to dec 15th 2017.